Sacrifice and Betrayal
by denise1
Summary: An AU based on the idea, What if Hathor had gone into Jack in Into the Fire? 'icky het' if you squint, but I wrote it as friendship


Sacrifice and Betrayal

By

Denise

'Someone comes.' Raleigh forced open heavy eyes and blinked to clear her vision. A figure walked into the room, carefully holding her weapon before her.

'Tau'ri?'

'I believe so. It was not unexpected.'

Captain Carter walked towards her—so they had escaped-- kneeling down to check on her. "Forgive me, there was no other way," Raleigh said, feeling that she had to apologize.

"You're the Tok'ra," she said.

Raleigh nodded. "Those controls are set. Activate them."  Carter moved to follow her instructions, causing the tank to rise from the pit. "The Goa'uld within is gone. The cryogenic process destroyed it, before it had a chance to meld with the host. He will revive automatically."

_'You hope,' Rayna said, feeling the need to play devil's advocate with her host._

_'Yes, I hope. No one deserves to be taken against their will.'_

Carter opened the cryogenic tank and began to release O'Neill. "Colonel? I don't feel its presence. You're gonna be all right."

A presence crept down Raleigh's spine and she opened her mouth to warn Carter, falling silent as she watched Hathor stride into the room. Carter froze, her face visibly paling as she came eye to eye with the goa'uld.

"We had hopes for you," Hathor gloated raising her ribbon weapon and using it on Carter. After a minute, the Tau'ri fell to her knees, her breath coming in panting gasps.

_'She will kill her.'_

_'I know,' Rayna said._

_'We cannot allow…'_

_'How will we stop it? I cannot heal you; it is all I can do to keep us alive.'_

Too weak to do anything else, they watched as the Tau'ri male rolled out of the chamber, falling to his knees as his legs refused to support him. He struggled to his feet, pulling himself upright. She could see his knuckles were white as he fought the shivers that wracked his frame.

She saw him look around the room, his eyes skittering over her before settling on Hathor and his friend. His eyes narrowed and his face set in a resolute mask as he staggered forward, nearly throwing himself at Hathor. He grabbed her from behind, one hand snaking out to grab her left hand, pulling it down and deactivating the ribbon weapon. "We will destroy you for this!" Hathor  ranted, struggling in his grasp.

Released from the hold of the weapon, Carter fell to the floor as O'Neill pushed Hathor towards the deep pit in the floor. "We would just like you to go away!"

She watched as he threw the goa'uld queen over the railing, pausing for a moment, his chest heaving with the effort. Remembering his teammate, he staggered back to where she was lying on the floor, pulling her up. "Carter?"

"What happened?" she asked, clearly stunned from the weapon. He pulled her close, closing his eyes with relief as he hugged her.

"Hathor's gone," he said slowly.

"What about you?" she asked, making no move to pull herself from his grasp.

"Cold, a little chilly, but. I'm me. I'm me."

"Colonel Makepeace came through with half a dozen SG teams to rescue us. But Trofsky's got us cut off from the Stargate. He's using an energy barrier. It originates from somewhere in this facility. The plan is to blow it before General Hammond sends reinforcements," she reported, her voice low and gasping.

"And how do we plan to do that?" he asked, finally releasing her although he still kept his hands firmly clamped around her forearms.

"You will fail." A blast from a ribbon weapon struck the pair, knocking them apart. Carter fell, stunned while O'Neill was thrown backwards. Raleigh watched as Hathor struggled from the vat, her once fine robes crackling and breaking as she dragged herself forward. Raleigh could see that the goa'uld was fatally injured, her host's body having born the brunt of the cold. Her flesh was stiff and white and it cracked as she walked, sending rivulets of crimson blood trickling down her limbs, only to freeze as it came into contact with her icy white flesh. 

She staggered past Carter and made her way laboriously towards O'Neill. "You shall pay for your insolence," she said, falling to her knees. To her horror, Raleigh watched as the goa'uld abandoned her host, jumping from Hathor's mouth to land on O'Neill's chest.

The human stirred, roused by the sensation of the goa'uld. He sluggishly raised one hand, trying to remove the threat. "No," he gasped. "No…arrrrrgggghhhhh!!" His pleas turned into a bone-chilling scream as the goa'uld raised its head and dove into his chest, ruthlessly tearing through flesh.

Still horribly weak, Raleigh could do nothing but watch as O'Neill lost the battle, his eyes glowing ominously as he sat up. He gained his feet, staggering a bit as Hathor grew used to the differences between a male and female body. He walked over to Carter, standing over the woman. She saw him shift his weight, preparing to kick his helpless friend. An explosion shook the facility and he turned, stalking from the room and more than likely heading towards the escape pod Raleigh knew the goa'uld had secreted down the corridor.

The woman moved drawing Raleigh's attention back to the situation at hand. She laboriously dragged herself across the floor and within reach of Carter just as the woman began to stir. "Colonel?"

"He is gone," Raleigh said sadly.

"What do you mean gone?" Carter asked as she pushed herself up, her face pinched in pain.

"Hathor took him."

"Took him…" her voice broke off as she caught sight of Hathor's host's body. She turned a stricken face to Raleigh. "No."

"Her host was dying. You should consider yourself fortunate that she did not choose you."

"Where would she take him?"

Raleigh shook her head. "He is gone. She keeps a teltac here for her escape. She has a secret base."

"No," Carter protested. "There has to be a way." She struggled to get to her feet, her movements stayed by Raleigh's hand.

"He is lost. As will be the rest of your people," she reminded her. Carter's face fell and she pushed her fingers through her hair. Raleigh could see resigned acceptance on her face. "I can tell you where the controls for the force shield are." A wave of weakness swept over her and her head dropped. Blackness clawed at the edges of her vision and she closed her eyes. _'Rayna.'_

'I am sorry,' her symbiote apologized. 'I cannot—'

"What's wrong?" Carter asked.

"The damage is too great. Please listen, there is not much time—"

"So you're dying," Carter interrupted.

"I will tell you where the controls for the force shield are," Raleigh said, pouring all her strength into her sole task.

"What about Colonel O'Neill? Can you tell me where Hathor's taken him?"

"The planet has no name. That is how it remains a secret."

Carter turned away for a second. "What if you show me?" she asked quickly.

"I do not—"

"Your host is dying, and so will you. What if…what if you and I…" she trailed off, seemingly unable to complete her sentence.

"Are you offering yourself as host?"

"Temporarily. And I mean temporarily. Just long enough for us to lower the shields and for you to show me where Hathor took the Colonel. First chance we get, you get a new host."

_'Rayna?'_

_'Selmac has said that his daughter did not want to ever become a host again,' the symbiote said, remembering a conversation she'd had with the man months ago._

_'She offers herself freely now. And you will not die,' Raleigh said._

_'Raleigh—'_

_'I was prepared to perish when I accepted this mission,' she said, not minding the thought of her own impending death. If Rayna would survive, she could accept her own death._

"You are aware that hosts can be difficult to find," Raleigh said, feeling the need to make that point clear.

"You'll be motivated," Carter said.

Raleigh sighed, ceding control to Rayna. "I will not attempt a full blending," the symbiote said. "We do not have time. I will merely seek refuge. I can impart information to you without blending fully."

"Then let's do this. General Hammond is sending reinforcements within the hour."

_'Goodbye, Rayna.'_

_'Goodbye, Raleigh.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam ran through the woods, her rifle in her hands and her lungs burning. It was close, very close. General Hammond's reinforcements should be coming through the gate any minute now.

Reaching the clearing, she slowed, crouching down as she hid behind a small rise. She carefully peeked through the dry grass.

"I know that you are still out there, Captain Carter! I grow tired of this. Surrender now, or your friends will be killed one by one."

"Damn," she muttered.

"Don't listen to him, Sam!" Daniel called.

"Silence! I will give you one minute," Trofsky called.

She looked to her watch again. Two minutes. Would he hold off for two minutes?

The goa'uld raised and armed his weapon, ruthlessly firing the zat at Makepeace. As Sam watched, the colonel fell to the ground. Making her decision in an instant, she armed the explosive she'd placed around the shield generator and stepped into the open.

"Well, there you are, Captain," Trofsky gloated.

"Here I am," Sam yelled. "Hey, Daniel."

"Sam," he said softly, shaking his head slowly.

"Lower your weapon," Trofsky ordered.

Sam made a show of slowly bending over and laying her rifle on the ground, deliberately drawing out each action to buy some time as she mentally counted down the arrival of the reinforcements.

"There's something  you should know," she called. "Hathor is dead."

"Hathor is a goddess," Trofsky protested.

"Ex-goddess," Sam said. "She's melting in the lab as we speak. I gotta tell ya, it's not a pretty sight."

"You lie."

"Let's go see," Sam suggested, stepping closer. Just then, the chevrons began to light, signaling an off world activation. Shoving her hand into her pocket, Sam pushed the button on the detonator, unable to hide a smile as she heard a distant boom. "Get down!" she shouted to the captives, reaching towards her back and pulling out her side arm.

She fired the weapon, stepping back to get closer to where she'd laid down her rifle. Much to her amazement, she saw the stargate activate and a death glider streak through the rippling surface.

Spinning, she ducked down, snagging her rifle and exchanging it for her now empty side arm.

Leaving the towers to the death glider, she concentrated on the troops at the gate, hoping to keep them busy enough to keep their minds off their hostages.

In a few moments it was over, Bra'tac sweeping through the open stargate and making short work of the remaining Jaffa.

Her blood still singing with adrenaline, she got to her feet, slowly walking towards the stargate and the people gathered there. The death glider landed and she watched in amazement as Teal'c and General Hammond descended from the craft. "Now that's reinforcements," she muttered as she saw Bra'tac freeing the hostages.

"Captain Carter," Hammond called, looking past her, frowning as he saw only her. "Where's Colonel O'Neill?"

"He's a goa'uld, sir," she reported, nodding at Teal'c.

"Captain?"

"I know where he is, sir. Request permission to—"

Hammond shook his head. "Denied."

"Sir."

"Denied," he repeated. "Captain, we need to cut our losses."

"General—"

"That's an order, Captain," he said coldly.

Sam looked from him to Teal'c, her heart falling when she recognized agreement in the warrior's eyes. She couldn't go back and they didn't have time to wait. The longer the Colonel was a host, the greater the chance that he'd never be free. Not to mention the fact that if they found out about Rayna, she'd not be allowed anywhere near the gate for days or weeks. As it was, she was pushing her luck being close to Teal'c. All she could hope for was that if he picked up on the presence of a symbiote, he thought it was just the traces of Jolinar that he sensed. "Yes, sir," she said meekly.

Hammond nodded, his face softening. "We'll do all we can go get him back, Captain," he said.

She nodded, knowing that, in his heart, he felt he was doing the best thing. He turned and walked towards Makepeace and his troops.

"Captain Carter…"

"I'm ok, Teal'c," she said, pasting a smile on her face. He looked at her, frowning as he studied her. "Really, I'm fine."

"I am most please to discover that  you are not deceased."

"So am I," she agreed. "Daniel got hurt, you might want to check on him."

He paused for a minute and she was afraid that he wouldn't leave her. Finally, he nodded and walked away. She looked around her and was pleased to notice that everyone seemed occupied with restraining the enemy Jaffa and checking out the prisoners.

Sam slowly edged away, her heart pounding as she considered the death glider in the distance. She felt the symbiote's presence in the back of her mind_. 'I hope you know how to fly a death glider.'_

Getting no real response, Sam continued on her quest, quickly reaching the hovering craft. Casting a quick glance over her shoulder, she clambered up, quickly getting into the pilot's seat. She pushed the button to lower the canopy, wincing as the mechanism squeaked, sure that the group by the stargate could hear it.

Still not getting an audible response from the symbiote, Sam followed her feelings and intuition, seamlessly firing up the glider's engines. She felt a pang of remorse as she saw Hammond and Teal'c turn to face her, their sense of betrayal clear on their faces even from a distance.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as the alien craft took flight, swooping higher and higher until the stargate was just a tiny speck on the planet's surface. "Hold on, Colonel. Hold on."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hathor set the autopilot for the teltac and sat back in the seat. Inside her host railed and she smiled.

Although she was less than happy with having to take a new host and a male at that, she was enjoying the fact that she had finally been able to appropriately reward O'Neill for his insolence.

She idly raised her hand, studying its new contours. The fingers were long and thick, criss-crossed with small scars and a smattering of short hairs. It was a hand she would find quite enticing and more than a little arousing, had it not belonged to her.

His fingernails were short and bluntly cut, a far cry from what she was used to. She rubbed her fingers together, exploring the new sensation of work roughened skin.

She felt a moment of regret when she thought of the two females she'd left behind. She should have taken one of them instead of O'Neill. One would have gifted her with the secrets of the Tok'ra or she could have taken much enjoyment from finally being able to have her vengeance on the meddlesome Captain Carter

She should not have given into the impulsive quest for vengeance when she chose O'Neill. It was most enjoyable to finally own the man, to be able to experience his fear and fury…and impotence, yet she also knew she could not remain in this body.

In theory, she could manipulate the male body to serve her needs, yet she knew from experience that human females worked best.

"Do not fear, I shall not abandon you," she said to her host, picking up on his tiny flicker of hope as her thought of leaving him filtered into his consciousness. "I shall again need to procure the code of life once I am in a new, more appropriate host. You shall have a great honor, you shall be the patriarch of a new race." 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam slowly opened her eyes, blinking at the odd sight before her. "What the hell?" she muttered, staring past the canopy of the ship and into the inky blackness of space.

_'Forgive me.'_ A presence presented itself in her mind and she sat up, her heart lurching as she instinctively looked around for the source of the voice. _'There was no other way.'_

Memories swamped over her. Hathor's body, the Colonel shivering but alive, Raleigh slumping limply to the floor, a small trickle of blood leaking from her mouth, the horrifying feeling of the symbiote in her mouth, burrowing through the back of her neck. _'We were never properly introduced. I am Rayna.'_

_'I thought you weren't going to blend,' Sam said, deliberately trying to calm herself, repressed memories swirling through her brain. She kept waiting for the symbiote to assert herself and take over._

_'I was not, but I had no choice. This death glider is not capable of attaining hyperspace. I had to blend with you to place your body in a deep state of sleep to conserve our supplies.'_

_'How long?'_ Sam asked, cursing herself for not thinking of checking the structural integrity of the glider before she'd hopped into the cockpit and stole it. In fact, she was probably lucky it'd been space worthy at all.

_'Several days. It will take us another three to reach the planet. I awakened you to verify our heading, but we do need to go back to sleep to preserve our supplies until we can reach the planet.'_

Sam nodded, despite the fact that there was no one to see her action. Thinking back, she had a vague memory of setting the autopilot before leaning back in the seat and closing her eyes, unable to fight the exhaustion that swamped over her.

_'What do you plan to do once we get there?' Rayna asked._

_'What?'_

_'Surely you do not think Hathor will just surrender O'Neill? She looked was most pleased when she captured him. I can only think that is why she took him as a host instead of you or me,' Rayna said._

'What do you mean?'

_'Hathor is a queen. It is easier for her to spawn in a female host.'_

Despite herself, Sam blushed a bit, trying to ignore the image of the Colonel sitting in a huge tub, baby symbiotes emerging from somewhere in his body. She tried to imagine him in maternity clothes…then banished the thought as way too disturbing. _'That's good then,' she said._

_'How do you mean?'_

_'She'll be motivated to leave him,' Sam said, forcing herself to be positive._

_'Perhaps,' the symbiote replied skeptically. 'But I still do not know how you plan to liberate O'Neill, presuming Hathor has left him and presuming that he yet lives.'_

_'I'm not sure,' Sam confessed. 'To tell you the truth, my planning didn't get much past getting in the glider and not going home.'_

_'Why would you not wish…ooh.'_

Sam felt the symbiote's mood change as she accessed Sam's fears of the NID and memories of her weeks after Jolinar. _'If I went back, we'd have to fight both the SGC and the Tok'ra,' Sam said, remembering how quickly Makepeace had declared the Colonel a casualty on the planet…and how resolute the Tok'ra had been in her father immediately going back to them rather than spending time on Earth._

Deep down, she felt that she couldn't trust them, that their goals were definitely not hers and, while she might be able to use their help, it would come at too high a price. _'We're not leaving Colonel O'Neill behind,' she said to Rayna. 'What he knows is too valuable for the goa'uld to keep.'_

_'And is that the only reason?'   _

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Hathor took the ship out of hyperspace, smiling as the familiar sight of her sanctuary filled the view screen.

She had a fondness for this planet, so much that she insured that few knew of its location. She had no palace here, nothing that would draw attention to it.

Very few lived here, only the members of a small tribe. Perhaps she would seek out a new host here, after all her last one had served her well.

Inside, her host listened to her thoughts, hurling insults at her. She found some of them quite creative if not impossible to states to attain given the limitations of the human body. She sincerely hoped that he maintained his spirit once she left him. Bed sport was much more enjoyable when both parties were active participants.

She entered the planet's atmosphere, carefully steering the ship towards a clearing close to the village. When she'd first returned here after her flight from Earth, she'd been surprised to discover that the village had grown, changing from a collection of huts to a small town.

She landed the ship and stood up, frowning as she felt her knees ache. It was too bad that her host's physical endurance was not representative of his appearance. Fortunately, she was not interested in his knees.

 Exiting the teltac, she secured it and started towards the town, mentally debating whether or not she should take a new host now or wait. Either way, she was going to have to start all over with her relationship with the people in the town. They knew her as Hathor, not as a human male.

As she walked, she passed a farmer tending his fields. She idly surveyed the rippling waves of grain. It would be a good harvest this year. This was good. A better harvest meant that the people would be happier and more malleable. And she needed them malleable.

She was very vulnerable at the moment and would be even more so when she took a new host. She would need the assistance of the townspeople to restrain O'Neill, she would not be able to exert her control over him as she had before. What would be best would be if she could place within him one of her children, but she could not make children while she was in him.  She was going to require a location to restrain O'Neill and assistance in keeping him restrained until she had a symbiote ready to join with him.

She walked into the town and frowned as her host's thoughts and feelings filtered into her consciousness. O'Neill was uneasy. She scanned the streets, frowning as she saw that there were no people milling about as there normally were.

Ignoring her host's thoughts, she kept walking, although her pace slowed. She made her way towards the largest dwelling, one she had claimed as her own just a few months before.

Perhaps they were all out working in the far fields, she thought as she walked into the dwelling.

A presence made itself known in her mind in the same instant that the smell of hot wax permeated her senses. Someone was here.

She walked into the largest room and stopped short, her eyes registering a figure sitting on a throne as the distinctive snap and whine of staff weapons arming told her that she was far from alone.

"Who are you?" the woman on the throne demanded, her kohl-encircled eyes narrowing.

"I could ask you the same," Hathor bluffed, deliberately affecting an air of nonchalance.

Nirti raised her hand as she got to her feet and activated her ribbon weapon. "Do not try my patience."

Hathor sighed, exceedingly aware of her fragile situation. "I am Hathor," she admitted, swallowing the ignominy of announcing her presence in her current host.

"Really? And what is a queen doing in the body of a male?"

"I could ask the same of you," Hathor said, turning to look at the Jaffa behind her. "Nirti," she said triumphantly, spinning back around. "When last I saw you, you had a most pleasing host. I believe he was a blonde."

Nirti's eyes narrowed as she lowered her hand. "Things change," she said, retaking her throne.

"Obviously, although that does not explain what you are doing on my planet and in my home," Hathor said, her confidence growing.

She and Nirti had crossed swords a time or two, but there was no real animosity between them. And it was obvious that the Goa'uld had not grown too much in power or she would not be here on a small planet with no real source of wealth.

"You were not using it," Nirti said negligently.

"I am now," Hathor said, deciding to press the situation. "And you are in my chair."

"I do not believe you are in the position to claim possession." She raked her eyes over him, studying him from head to toe. "You are not even capable of spawning and I have a difficult time believing that this host is one you chose willingly." She got to her feet and walked towards Hathor. "I believe you are fleeing. You did not choose to come here, you are hiding."

Hathor remained silent, coldly meeting the woman's eyes. Nirti stared at her, then chuckled before spinning dramatically and retaking her seat on the throne. "Tell me why I should not have you killed?"

Hathor stiffened, looking down for a second before looking up. "Because, despite the shortcomings of my host in the reproductive department, he does have one advantage," she said, stepping forward. "Kill me, and the secrets of the Tau'ri die with me."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam's eyes flew open and she felt a burst of panic as her body reacted without her direction_. 'We have a problem,' _Rayna said, the feeling of her voice in Sam's head calming her a bit, but just a bit.

_'What?' _She looked out the canopy and felt her eyes grow wide as they took in the looming shape of a hatak ship_. 'Oh. This isn't good.'_

_'You are correct,' Rayna agreed._

_'Who is it?'_

_'I do not know.'_

_'Don't these ships have markings or something?'_

_'Goa'uld ships broadcast a beacon identifying the 'god' that is aboard…or they are supposed to. This one does not.'_

_'Ok,_' Sam said, thinking of old fashioned pirate ships, how the wooden vessels would change their flags to proclaim their intentions…or disguise them._ 'I suppose it's too much to hope that they won't see us?'_

_'They already do. That is why I woke you.'_

_'So, now what?'_

"Kree tal shal mak! Yu!" A rough voice filtered through their comm. system, the sudden noise after hours of silence making Sam jump.

'Who?'

_'Yu.'_

_'Me?'_

_'Yu is the name of the Goa'uld,' Rayna said, her tone one of a parent talking to a child…and answering the same question for the tenth time._

_'Oh. Sorry.'_

_'He is also known as Yu the Great. He is one of the oldest goa'uld in the universe. Our records of him go back nearly ten thousand Terran years. It is odd that he is here.'_

_'Why?'_

_'The last we knew, he had left this part of the universe. He rarely involves himself in the petty politics of the system lords.'_

"Kree tal shal mak! Yu!" the voice barked again.

_'If we don't answer him, they're gonna start shooting._'

_'Let me,' Rayna requested._ Sam nodded and clenched her hands around the armrests as she felt her body again move without her control. "Mak tal shree! Lo tak meka satak Hathor!" Rayna said as she activated the comm. system.

"Mok Tal Hathor?"

_'What did you just say?' Sam asked, recognizing the name._

_'It is very unlikely that word of Hathor's demise has spread far and goa'uld queens are rare enough to guarantee that we shall not be shot on sight…hopefully.'_

_'Hopefully?'_

"Mak Tal Hathor KREE!" Rayna replied loudly, her voice forceful and disdainful, as befitted a goa'uld queen.

"Kal tek shree, tak monak!"

_'I don't like that tone.'_

_'He does not believe that we are who we say we are,' Rayna translated._

'Tell him to bring us on board and see for himself.' The Tok'ra complied and Sam felt her relax as the panel indicating a weapons lock faded and the ship began to move forward. _'I take it he bought it?'_

_'For now. However, I should warn you, one reason Goa'uld do not kill queens is because they wish to possess them. It is very likely that while he will not kill us, he may make us a prisoner.'_

_'Joy,' Sam said sarcastically. 'This week just keeps getting better and better.'_

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Nirti watched as Hathor sat upon the chair she'd demanded, taking time to study the figure. Her host was definitely not in the prime of his life, yet he did look fit.  He was dressed in a serviceable white suit that was moderately stained, attesting to her supposition that Hathor was fleeing from someone.

"Why do you think the secrets of the Tau'ri would interest me?" she asked Hathor.

"I know that the Asgard have approached you, and the other system lords, to broker a treaty between the Tau'ri and the Goa'uld," Hathor said, quoting the one tiny bit of knowledge that she'd gained from a Jaffa that had defected to her service. According to Moab, the Asgard were most interested in the Tau'ri, interested enough that they were willing to break centuries of tradition and involve themselves in matters they normally ignored.

"That is hardly a secret."

"Obviously," Hathor said. "What you do not realize is WHY the Asgard are so protective of this primitive race."

"The Asgard are protective of many primitive races. It is an obstacle we simply live with," Nirti said.

Hathor chuckled, the low voice of the host ringing off the stone walls of the structure. "The Asgard, misguided fools though they may be, hold out hope that the Tau'ri are the Fifth Race, and seek to protect them. They have already touched my host's mind. In fact, it was their encounter with him that piqued their interest." Hathor got to her feet and moved to stand in front of Nirti. "Did you not question why the Asgard have suddenly expressed interest in a primitive race? They wish to keep the secrets of the Tau'ri world to themselves and to lull us into believing that the planet is nothing more than a simple group of humans."

"So, we shall negotiate most stringently," Nirti dismissed, deliberately shrugging as if she had no interest.

"You do not need to negotiate at all," Hathor said. "The Asgard wish to prevent you from learning Tau'ri secrets…secrets that my host already knows. And secrets that I shall share—for the right price."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_'Do not fight me,'_ Rayna instructed as they walked down the corridor. They were flanked both in front and behind by four armed Jaffa and Sam was certain that even more were lurking behind the false walls of the hatak.

Their death glider had been guided into the landing bay and immediately surrounded by Jaffa. Following Rayna's instructions, Sam had left behind her most obvious weapons, having to dig through the pockets of her borrowed combat vest and BDU's to even know what weapons she had on her.

_'What?' Sam asked._

_'I know you do not like it when I am in control, but I must be if Yu is to believe us._

_'Okay,' Sam agreed. 'How do you think he will react?'_

_'If he was not already intrigued, we would be dead,'_ the Tok'ra said as they arrived at a set of ornate twin doors. As they'd walked Sam had noticed the normal gold goa'uld motif slowly changing into something that reminded her of her local Asian restaurant.

The two Jaffa in front of them opened the doors before taking up posts beside them. Sam stepped forward, hearing the other two Jaffa that had been escorting them follow her into the throne room. The chamber was exquisite in its simplicity, plain walls and touches of red, black and white creating a welcome change from the harsh gold of the rest of the ship.

Sam knelt before the figure on the throne, barely having time to take in his appearance before deferentially lowering her eyes to the floor. Yu was dressed in rich burgundy satin robes decorated with elaborate embroidery. His host's ethnicity complemented the décor, the man's swarthy skin matching his black hair.

"You do not dress like a queen," he said, his voice rich and unaccented.

"Forgive me, my lord. My new host and I did not have much time to make ourselves presentable before coming into your presence," Rayna said, the sound of her resonating voice sending chills down Sam's spine.

"From the looks of your ship, it appears that you did not have time for much but flight."

"Such is the way of the world, at times," Rayna said, looking up to meet the Goa'uld in the eyes. "We do what we must to survive."

He studied her for a few moments, the intensity of his gaze enough to make Sam squirm. "As do we all," he finally said, motioning for her to stand up. Sam got to her feet, taking a second to look around the room. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Yu wave his hand and the two Jaffa nodded at their master then turned and left them alone. "I was not aware that you were still alive," he said. "I have not heard the name of Hathor for several centuries."

"Ra imprisoned us," Rayna said, drawing upon Sam's memories. "We were in stasis for a very long time. Fortunately, we were freed. We took a new host and left her world."

"What were you doing traveling through my space?" he asked, his eyes narrowing.

"We do not wish to challenge you," Rayna soothed. "We were merely seeking to return to our old holdings, to see what possessions remain to us so that we would know what we have to offer a new protector."

_'What?' Sam protested._

_'Easy,' Rayna said. 'That is what queens do. The sooner he trusts us, the sooner we can leave.'_

"You seek a new protector?" he asked.

Rayna shook her head, spreading her arms. "No, my lord. Not yet. As you can see, we have little to offer, especially to a leader of your greatness."

"Flattery does not interest me," he said. "And in truth, possessing a queen interests me even less." Sam felt her hopes rise. He was letting them go. "However, the prospect of keeping a queen from the other System Lords does." Sam's heart fell and only Rayna's control kept her face placid. "You will remain with me," he declared. "You shall be under my protection and you shall want for nothing, but you shall never spawn again." 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel stood on the ramp, trying not to look bored out of his skull as Secretary Simms made his speech. Yes, he knew it was an honor and that the man meant well, but it just didn't sit right. They were all here to acknowledge SG-3 and the others for rescuing SG-1 from Hathor…but it wasn't right; they weren't all here.

He looked over to Teal'c and met his friend's solemn gaze and saw the same sentiment reflected in his dark eyes. Maybe they could both find some excuse to bail on the reception that was planned for this afternoon. He knew that he sure wasn't in the mood to socialize and party when two of his friends were still out there and possibly still in danger.

"Since the re-inception of this program, I have eagerly awaited every word of every mission report stemming from this base like a wide eyed child waiting for his next bed time story. Not actually being here, seeing your faces or this Stargate here behind me it is sometimes easy to forget that it's all really happening. The President regrets not being able to be here but I'm glad because it gives me the opportunity to congratulate you on your recent effort in defeating a formidable enemy and rescuing SG-1, captured in the line of duty. You risk your lives every day in a way more dangerous and fantastic than any of us could have ever dreamed. Understand  
that I represent every person of this great nation when I salute your ongoing heroic spirit. You should be—"

A brilliant flash of light blinded Daniel and he instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes. When he lowered it he stared around him, feeling his jaw drop as he caught sight of a large view screen. He slowly stepped towards it, staring at the vista of the planet silhouetted against brilliant stars.

"Greetings."

Daniel spun, belatedly dropping his eyes as he realized that his host was a bit on the small side.  
"Aah, hi. Thor?"

"It is I," the alien said. "I apologize for taking you by surprise, but I have come on a matter of  
great importance."

"We're in orbit around Earth, right?" Daniel asked.

"Yes."

"You know, there's supposed to be satellites and telescopes to see stuff like this."

"Our ships have never been detected in orbit around Earth before."

"Really? I'm sorry. You were saying something. A matter of great importance?"

"We received word of what transpired with your people and the goa'uld named Hathor."

"She started it. She kidnapped us. We just did what we had to to survive," Daniel said. "And in case the rumor mill isn't working right, not all of us are back. Jack is out there with a goa'uld in his head and Sam took off after him."

"I was not aware of this fact," the alien said. "However, that too can wait. The Goa'uld System Lords have turned their attention towards Earth."

"What, for killing Hathor? They should be thanking us. She was planning to overthrow them and she was stealing their Jaffa."

"Her intentions are irrelevant. Earth has once again proven it can be a formidable threat to the Goa'uld. They have decided it is a concern to be dealt with. The System Lords are capable of launching an assault one hundred times more powerful than that you previously withstood at the hands of Apophis."

"That could be a problem," Daniel said, remembering how narrowly they had escaped the attack a year ago. Had there been one more ship, things would not have turned out as well as they did. There was no way they could deal with a hundred hatak ships.

"The Asgard agrees. I have come to offer our assistance."

"What kind of assistance?"

"The vast majority of the Asgard fleet is currently unavailable. However, with your permission the Asgard will attempt to negotiate with the Goa'uld System Lords to include Earth in the Protected Planets Treaty."

"That's a good thing?"

"It would prevent this attack."

"Okay, that's good. Although I think we'd rather have a fleet of your ships here."

"I will contact the System Lords. You may return to your planet now."

With another dramatic flash of light, the diminutive alien winked from view and Daniel was again alone. He glanced back at the planet visible through the view screen. "Ah, hello?"

A now familiar burst of light assaulted his eyes and he closed them, trusting the alien to set him down in the middle of a mountain instead of the ocean. At least he now had a good excuse to bail on the reception. It was a testament to the oddness of their jobs when 'I was abducted by aliens', was not only a valid excuse, but also one that was accepted without question.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cronos accepted the goblet of wine from his slave and blatantly stared at the pair seated across the room. They had gathered at his palace and were awaiting the arrival of Yu before they departed to the Tau'ri home world to begin negotiations with the Asgard.

He had expected Nirti to bring her lotar, it was rare for a Goa'uld to travel without one, yet he had not expected a consort. The man was middle aged, his hair heavily tinged with silver. Although his dark eyes were shrouded, Cronos could see years of strife evident on the man's craggy face.

He found it odd that Nirti, who was known to be most particular about the physical attributes of her own host, accepting a human that was so worn as a consort. He knew that in the past, her tastes had run to the young—preferably a nubile Jaffa or unjoined human.

"I was not aware that your tastes had changed," Nirti drawled, pulling Cronos' attention from the male to her. "The way you are staring at my consort, one would believe that you now prefer males."

"It appears that your tastes have changed, not mine," he said. "Your current consort is most different from those you have chosen in the past."

Nirti smiled slyly, smoothly getting up from her chair and moving over to the male, draping herself possessively over him. "Variety can be most pleasing," she said, pushing aside the open neck of the man's tunic and running her nails through the hair on his chest.

"Perhaps if you applied yourself to maintaining your holdings rather than your carnal pleasures, you would have no need for variety," he suggested, hiding a smile as the woman bristled. Under normal circumstances, he knew that she would storm out in a most dramatic manner, yet not now. She had been most  eager to join them in their negotiations, so he knew that she would tolerate much. Baiting her would be an entertaining way to pass the time as they awaited Lord Yu's arrival.

"Is that censure I detect in your voice, or jealousy?" Nirti asked, her eyes flaring angrily.

Cronos' eyes narrowed as he ignored the barb. He was saved from a response as the door opened revealing his first prime. "My Lord Yu has arrived," he announced, stepping aside to allow the ancient Goa'uld to stride into the room, flanked by his own first prime Ohsu and a female, only a hint of her pale skin and light eyes visible behind a thin silk veil.

"It would seem that new consorts are becoming quite a trend," Nirti drawled, pulling her hand from under the male's shirt. "An interesting choice, although I had thought that you usually preferred ones with darker coloring."

"My preferences are my business," Yu declared. "Is it not time to depart?"

Following his lead, Nirti and Cronos stepped forward, joining Yu before the trio left the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam watched the Goa'uld go, only Rayna's control keeping her knees from giving away. _'Oh my God,'_ Sam thought, her gaze riveted on the man seated across the room.

_'This is not good,' Rayna said._

_'What? We found him. This is great.'_

_'This is the worst thing that could have happened. All it will take is one word—'_

"Well, well, well, what have we here?" Hathor said slowly, getting to her feet.  She walked towards Sam, reaching out to snatch the concealing veil from her face. "My host cannot decide if he is glad to see you or furious at your presence."

Ohsu stepped forward, putting himself between the two goa'uld. "My Lord Yu has charged me with My Lady Hathor's safety. Please keep your distance."

"Hathor?" The Colonel laughed and Sam felt a pang of sadness as she witnessed her friend living out his worst nightmare. "Is that who she said she was? I am Hathor," she declared. "This is an imposter, most likely a Tok'ra."

"How dare you insult my mistress!" Ohsu bristled, his hand falling to his weapon.

In one smooth move, Sam's hand struck out, ripping the zat from Ohsu's hand and shooting him with it. Hathor lunged at her and she shot her too, unable to move fast enough to keep the Colonel's bulk from falling on her and pinning her to the floor. _'What did you do that for?_' she asked Rayna as she pushed against the colonel's dead weight, rolling him off her.

_'It was the only way. Ohsu is loyal to his master, but also fair. He would have restrained both of you and despite being in a male host, Hathor's identity can be easily proven if someone tried hard enough.' _ Sam reached out and checked his pulse, relieved to find it thrumming steadily under her fingers. _'With Yu gone, the Stargate is likely lightly guarded. We need to leave--now.'_

Sam agreed, scrambling to her feet before reaching down to pick up the Colonel's limp form. She pulled him to his feet, sliding his arm over her shoulders. She dragged him out of the room and towards the Stargate in the adjoining chamber, knowing that she'd likely have just minutes before he shook off the effects of the zat.

Reaching the DHD, she started to punch in an address. _'I know where to send him,' she said. 'But it's a place we can't go. We'll send the Colonel there, then go to a friendly planet that I know of. From there I can contact the SGC and tell them were to go get him from. Teal'c will know.'_

The Stargate opened and Sam moved forward, grateful for Rayna's added strength. The Colonel was certainly not a lightweight.

Just as she reached the event horizon, the limp figure at her side stirred, pushing itself away from her. "NO!" Hathor screamed, stumbling away. "You will not kill me!" He threw himself at Sam, his hands wrapping around her neck. "Insolent bitch. I should have killed you back on Earth."

Sam fought back, her hands clawing at his as she instinctively raised her knee, knowing that even though Hathor was female, she still had the host's male vulnerabilities. Hathor screamed in pain, her hands loosening slightly. Sam pushed her towards the event horizon, sighing in relief as the wormhole grabbed the Colonel, pulling him through.

"Halt!" She spun, staring wide eyed at Ohsu, the Jaffa standing before her, his staff weapon armed and ready. "Betrayer!" he shouted, squeezing the trigger. Sam felt Rayna surge forward, ripping control from her and throwing them towards the open Stargate.

Heat blended with cold and she fell, her consciousness fading even as the alien device spirited her away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack opened his eyes, staring into the darkness as he struggled to figure out exactly what in the hell was going on. Memories ruthlessly flooded into his brain and he sat up, his hands going to the back of his neck. Nausea mixed with fear swept over him when his fingers encountered the tell tale ridge under his skin, confirming his worst nightmare.

"God," he muttered, his hands flying to his waist, then the floor, searching for something, anything sharp enough to tear his skin open and rip Hathor from his body.

There was a flash of light and he shielded his eyes. Realizing that someone else had been transported in, he blinked furiously, his heart lurching as he recognized the figure. He stumbled over to her, fighting an unusual sense of exhaustion that made the simplest actions a Herculean effort.

In the dim light he could see the large burned patch on her clothing. Fumbling for a pulse, he closed his eyes in relief when he detected the pulsing sensation under his fingertips. It was real. It felt real this time. At his touch, she stirred, moaning softly as her eyes fluttered open. "Colonel?"

"Yeah. Carter, where the hell are we?" He looked around, his attention drawn to a shimmering hologram in the corner of the chamber. "Oh god."

"I'm sorry, it's the only place I could think of." She slowly pushed herself to a seated position, her breath hissing between her teeth as the movement pulled at the staff blast on her side. "Wait. You're—"

"Hathor's not…I think she's unconscious or something. She's not…oh God." He squeezed his eyes shut and raised his hands to his head. "That damn bitch is in my head."

"The hammer must stun them or something," he heard her mutter as he fought the overwhelming feeling of self-disgust and hate swelling in his breast. "Colonel? COLONEL!" She said loudly, reaching out to roughly yank his hands from his head. "You've got to get to the hammer before she wakes up. Do you hear me? You've got to go. Do you hear me? You have to go."

He shook his head, her words not registering. A goa'uld. God, he was a goa'uld. He had one of those things in him. She taunted him, made him aware as she killed people. She and Nirti, they were, they were going to Earth, going to use him to take over Earth. She took knowledge from him, no matter how hard he fought, she just took it. He couldn't fight her, couldn't control her.

"COLONEL!" A slap echoed through the chamber as his head was jerked to one side.

Yanked from his memories, he stared at her, frowning. "Carter?"

"Yeah." She smiled slightly. "You gotta get to the hammer while she's still stunned. Can you do that, sir?"

"Hammer?"

"Right, Colonel. The hammer. Take me to the hammer."

He nodded, pulling her to her feet. "You're out of uniform, Captain," he muttered, raking his eyes up and down the sapphire blue brocaded dress she was wearing.

"And you've got chicken legs, sir," she shot back.

He followed her eyes and winced at the sight of his body clothed in a short but roomy pair of pants, loose open shirt and gilded sandals. "Oh for crying out loud."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked alongside Jack as they slowly made their way through the damp passages of the labyrinth. With every step, the wound on her side throbbed and she longed to do nothing more than to just lie down and take a nap.

She had a funny feeling that the Colonel felt the same way if his harsh breathing and set face was any indication.

But they couldn't rest and they both knew it. Rayna was silent inside her, hopefully only stunned by the hammer and she had to think that Hathor was the same way. But she didn't think the symbiotes would stay subdued for long, not if the Unas the boys had encountered last time was any indication.

They had to get out of here, and they had to do it soon. Or at least one of them did.  Sam knew that she was trapped here. Thor had reprogrammed the hammer to make an exception for Teal'c but she had no way of knowing if the device could sense the difference between Goa'uld and Tok'ra…and she wasn't going to risk Rayna's life to find out.

Fortunately, it looked like that fact had slipped the Colonel's mind, and she wasn't going to remind him. He'd find out soon enough.

They reached an intersection in the tunnel and the Colonel paused, obviously trying to remember which way to go. "Is this the nickel tour, or the dime tour?" she asked, leaning against one of the walls.

He shot her an irritated look, one that faded almost instantly. "Teal'c and I wandered around a lot. We had an Unas on our ass. How's your side?"

He made a move to take a look and she twisted, not wanting him to see the full extent of the damage. "It's fine. How about you?"

"Carter, let me see."

"You can't do anything anyway. Unless there's a med kit hidden somewhere in that getup."

"Once we get out of here, it's a good day's walk to Gairwin's village," he reminded.

"I know," she answered, pushing away from the wall. She licked her dry lips, wishing that she'd kept her borrowed BDU's, and the canteens that had come with them. She was losing blood and getting dehydrated, she could feel it happening. Part of her desperately wanted Rayna to wake up so she could heal the injuries…but another part of her dreaded it. Because if Rayna woke up, Hathor would too. And she was in no shape to take on a pissed off goa'uld at the moment. "Left or right?"

"Sam—"

"We don't know how much longer Hathor will stay asleep. Left or right?"

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Right…I think."

"Right it is then."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"We're almost there," Jack said hours later.

"You said that an hour ago," Sam complained.

"Yeah, but this time I'm sure. Can't you smell it?"

She frowned and sniffed, wrinkling her nose as she too caught wind of the unmistakable smell of death. "This is assuming the Unas is the only thing that's died in here," she muttered.

He shot her a look and opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, biting his tongue. He couldn't berate her, even if she wasn't wounded. He wanted to ask her exactly what all had happened. She'd told him bits and pieces. That both Daniel and Teal'c were safe but had refused to fill him in on anything beyond that, like how she'd come to be with Yu and where in the hell was her backup.

She suddenly stopped, her eyes going unfocussed. "Run," she said.

"What?"

She raised her eyes to his and he was struck by the fear in them. "The hammer. Run. NOW!" she yelled, pushing him away.

At that same instant, Jack began to feel a presence in the back of his mind. Tearing away from her, he ran, knowing that he had just seconds before the Goa'uld awoke properly. His feet pounded on the wet stones, slipping and sliding in centuries of slime and decay.

He could feel Hathor waking, just like how he'd know that Sara was awake when they were married. He could feel the length of her begin to twitch along his spine, feel the first tendrils of her control creep through his brain. He fought to block her, to hide his true intentions.

He rounded a corner and saw the shape of the hammer across the chamber, just a few short yards away. He tried to run, crying out as his leg collapsed from under him, sending him crashing to the floor.

He could feel her anger, her rage, her fear as she realized that death was near. She fought him, sending shafts of pain down his spine and coiling into his gut. He screamed as she used old memories to torture him, making him feel again the burning sting of a bullet burrowing into his chest, the dull ache of jagged bone digging into raw flesh.

No, he thought, clenching his teeth and fixating his eyes on the beckoning doorway just feet away. He crawled past the decaying corpse of the Unas, the stench of his decomposition sickening even a year later, preserved by the cool dampness of the labyrinth. He would not end up like him, existing here for centuries.

"Colonel." A hand slid under his arm, pulling him towards the hammer.

Sam. No. Hathor would kill her. He knew that. The Goa'uld wanted nothing more than to kill her. Images flashed through his brain, Sam crying out, crumpled on the floor as he hit her over and over, kicking her, beating her. He saw himself ripping her clothes from her, humiliating her, hurting her. She wouldn't just kill Sam, she'd torture her first. Abuse her as long as she lived until she finally died.

Not again. She would never make him hurt his friends again. Roughly pushing Sam away, he struggled to his feet, staggering forward like a man who'd just drank his tenth beer in as many minutes.

His fingers curled around the threshold and Hathor screamed, making one last desperate attempt to save her life. His arms shook, the muscles locking, keeping him from going forward.

Something struck him in the back of his knees and he fell forward almost in supplication to the magic of the Asgard device. Scarlet light seared his retinas and he screamed, every nerve vibrating in pain.

At that moment, Jack O'Neill wanted nothing more than to die.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam slid to the floor, staring in horror as the ruddy light of the hammer washed over Jack and he writhed in pain. _'What is that?'_

_'Thor's hammer,'_ Sam explained, squinting  as her vision dimmed and wavered.

_'It's real?'_ Rayna asked, making her presence known for the first time since Sam had felt the first inklings of her awakening.

_'It is. Don't worry, we're not going through,'_ Sam reassured her as the hammer disengaged and she watched in horror as he fell forward, obviously unconscious…and on the other side of the device and totally out of reach.

_'Not until I fix the damage you did to yourself,' the symbiote said, her intention to sacrifice herself to prevent Sam from being trapped clear even through Sam's fading consciousness. 'Sleep,' _she urged. Too tired to do anything else, Sam laid down on the cold, hard floor, promising herself that she and Rayna were going to have a nice long talk as soon as she woke up.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel walked through the corridors, picking up the pace when he spied General Hammond in the distance. "General!"

The man turned and waited for him. "Doctor Jackson, how are your preparations going?"

"Umm…fine, just fine." He followed the man, pausing when he caught sight of Teal'c and an airman at the end of the corridor. "What's this about?"

"I'm not sure. It's Teal'c," he said softly. "Teal'c, Sergeant, what's the problem?"

"He won't relinquish his weapon Sir," the man reported.

"Teal'c?" Daniel asked.

"I do not believe we should remove all weapons from this base."

"The Asgard were explicit," Hammond said. "If they detect weapons, there will be no summit."

"No summit, no treaty," Daniel said.

"The Goa'uld that you are allowing through your Stargate are amongst the most deceptive and treacherous that I have ever known."

"Thor assures us the Goa'uld's are also forbidden from bringing weapons," Hammond soothed.

"Teal'c, if this treaty doesn't happen, they're gonna send a hundred of those mother ships here. You know as well as I do what that means," Daniel said, meeting his friend's eyes. "We barely stopped two last time, we wouldn't stand a chance. You've been on the other end of a Goa'uld assault, what do you think our chances are?"

"Teal'c, I'm ordering you to turn your weapon over," Hammond said, his voice firm.

The Jaffa studied both of them and for an instant, Daniel seriously thought he'd ignore the general. Finally, in what seemed an eternity later, he nodded, handing his staff weapon over to the sergeant. Hammond nodded his permission and the man turned, carrying the weapon towards the elevators and to a makeshift armory they'd set up on one of the closed off NORAD levels.

"Our guests will be here in a couple of hours, why don't you gentlemen go get something to eat," he suggested. "We may be a little busy for the next day or so."

"Yes, sir," Daniel said, recognizing the man's tactics. "Come on, Teal'c." The warrior followed him and they made their way to the commissary level.

The room was relatively empty, all non-essential personnel having been sent home. Both of them selected some food from the line and took their seats. "So, what do you think?" Daniel finally asked, the silence of his comrade starting to get on his nerves.

"About what, Daniel Jackson?"

"The summit. What do you think our chances are?"

Teal'c met his gaze, his eyes cold. "I think that unless the Asgard are prepared to permanently watch over Earth, it is an empty gesture. The Goa'uld have agreed to the negotiations only to acquire something from the Asgard and as soon as they believe they can do so unobserved, they will break the treaty and attack Earth in a swift and deadly manner. They will then leave and when the Asgard question them, they will feign ignorance."

Daniel shook his head. "You can't know that'll happen."

"I know. I have witnessed it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack opened his eyes, groaning out loud. An action he immediately regretted  when the sound made his head ache even more. Nausea rolled though his gut and he pushed himself up, gasping as dry heaves wracked his frame.

As soon as the spasms eased, he rolled so that he was seated against the wall and wiped his hand across his mouth. His eyes settled on a small, slick looking shape. Memory and the nausea returned at the same time and he swallowed convulsively as he leaned forward, morbidly drawn to the shape.

Disgusted, he shakily got to his feet, using the wall to pull himself up. He stepped forward and brought his foot down on the dead symbiote, grimacing as he ground his heel into the rubbery being, taking great pleasure in reducing it to a lumpy mass.

When Hathor was nothing more than a smear on the floor, he stopped, breathing heavily as he looked up. Sam? Where was…His eyes darting frantically around the chamber, he spied her lying on the floor of the inner chamber, apparently unconscious.

Concern shot through his chest and he moved forward, only to stop short at the threshold of the hammer, remembered pain stilling his movements. Damnit, he couldn't leave her like that. Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, only relaxing when he was on the other side of the device.

He hurried to her side and knelt down, his fingers reaching for her neck. "Thank god," he muttered when he felt the steady rhythm of her pulse under his fingers. He needed to get her out of here and get her some medical attention.

Hoping that his legs wouldn't give out, he moved to pick her up, then stopped, staring in horror at the slight lump he saw on the back of her neck. "Crap," he cursed, unable to fight the fear that lanced through him. She was a goa'uld too. How the hell had she gotten a snake?

No. That didn't make any sense. She hadn't acted like a goa'uld back in Cronos' palace. A goa'uld would never have come here. That was why Hathor had fought her so strongly, she'd recognized the address to Cimmeria and knew that it was a death trap.

_"O'Neill, you must fight it!  I am Tok'ra."_

She'd been there, in the room with him. He remembered her slumped against the wall, watching while Hathor…That had to be it. The host was most likely dying and had gone into Sam.

_"The hammer must stun them or something."_

How else had she known that, how else could she have known that Hathor was starting to stir within him unless she'd felt the symbiote stirring within herself. That had to be why she wouldn't tell him what had happened on the planet. Because she knew he'd never want to leave her trapped here. And she'd be trapped, he knew that. She'd never kill another ally to save herself.

He looked towards the hammer, judging the distance. She was deeply unconscious, she'd probably never even feel it if he took her through. He could just plead ignorance. She'd be pissed but…

_"She's just feeling a little sad right now, Cassie."_

Sad. That was an understatement. Catatonic was more like it. A state he never thought she'd emerge from. No. Not again. He couldn't do that to her again. And besides, he rationalized, if the snake in her really was a Tok'ra, it was probably her only change of getting her injury healed.

Making his decision in an instant, he bent over, gently picking her up. He carried her over to the wall, getting as far away from the rancid corpse as he could and sat down. He leaned his back against the wall and shifted her in his arms, trying to keep as much of her from coming in contact with the cold floor as possible.

He closed his eyes, wondering with his last thought if he'd made the right decision.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The steady thrumming of a heartbeat slowly woke Sam. Not quite ready to wake up yet, she nestled in closer, bringing up her left hand to explore her warm pillow. Her fingers encountered sparse hair barely concealed by a bit of soft fabric.

"Carter?" A low voice rumbled under her ear and she frowned, trying to place it. "Sam?" The arm behind her back tightened its hold, shaking her slightly.

She moaned softly, slowly opening her eyes. "Colonel?"

"Yeah, you awake?"

"No," she muttered, closing her eyes again.

"Tough," he said, shaking her a bit harder. "It's time to get up, my butt's numb."

She opened her eyes, frowning at him as he brought up his other arm and wrapped it around her, effectively immobilizing her. "What's going on?"

"You got a snake in your head," he said, looking her in the eyes.

She slumped and closed her eyes. "Rayna. She's the Tok'ra that put you back in the cryogenic tank. Her host was dying." She opened her eyes and met his gaze unwaveringly. "I'm telling you the truth, sir."

He stared at her for a second, then relaxed his stranglehold. "Yeah. That's what I figured."

"Hathor?"

"Gone," he bit out, his eyes going flat and cold. "For good this time."

She nodded, leaning away from him as she ran her fingers through her hair. She tried not to shudder as the chill air reminded her of just how warm and safe she'd felt just seconds before. "You should go then," she said softly.

"Excuse me?"

"The hammer doesn't know the difference between Goa'uld or Tok'ra. I won't kill her."

"I wouldn't leave Teal'c here, what makes you think I'll leave you here to rot?" he asked.

"Not forever," she said, shaking her head. "Thor made an exception for Teal'c once he knew who he was. If you can find the Hall of Mjollnir like Daniel and I did, you can contact Thor and he'll get me out of here."

"If I had some C-4, I could get you out of here right now."

"I don't know about you, but I'm sorta lacking in the pocket department. Besides, we can't make Cimmeria vulnerable again. Too many people have already died because of us."

"I don't like it," he complained.

"It's the only way."

"What's the snake think?"

"It doesn't matter what she thinks," she avoided, feeling the first faint stirrings of the symbiote. Rayna was still weak from her attempts to save Raleigh's life and Sam knew that she'd seriously taxed herself working to heal the staff wound.

"Let me talk to her."

"No."

"Sam—"

"She's willing to die," she said angrily. "She would have left me before but she knew I'd never have made it to the village with my injuries. As soon as she woke up, she started to heal me. She's willing to leave now that I'm healed. I don't want her to and you're not helping," she ranted.

"Sam—"

"Colonel, if it wasn't for her you would still have a snake in you. She saved you by putting you back under cryogenic freeze. I'm not going to let her die. Not when all we have to do is contact Thor and get him to beam us out of here."

"Sam—"

"I figure that the obelisk is a day's walk away. I can give you the answers to the riddles so it won't take you as long as it took us last time," she interrupted. He said nothing and she stared at him, waiting. "What?" she finally asked.

"Just waiting for you to finish," he said with a shrug.

"I'm finished."

"I don't like it," he said, holding up his hand to silence her protest. "But I think it's the only option we have."

"Thank you," she said softly.

"There's a stream right outside here, isn't there?"

"Yeah. It's an aquaduct, feeds the village."

"So I can just follow it down?"

"You should be able to, yeah." He motioned and she got off his lap, both of them scrambling to their feet.  He rummaged around the chamber and picked up a large rock. "What are you going to do with that?"

"Prop the outer door open. I'll go get you some firewood, see if I can find something to carry water in. It'll be a little sparse, but like you said, it's only for a day."

"That'd be great, thanks," she said, wrapping her arms across her belly. Especially now that she was no longer on his lap, she felt the damp chillness of the labyrinth seeping into her bones. She knew Rayna could help a little but the symbiote was still weakened from healing her and was in a deep sleep at the moment.

He nodded. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, before walking back through the hammer. Dim light flooded in as the outer door opened. She watched him study the door for a minute before placing the rock into place and walking through.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere," she muttered.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Gairwin reined in her horse, staring at the figure just appearing between the thick trees. This was a surprise. When the watchers had told her that the portal had opened and delivered two Etins, she had wondered if they would escape the labyrinth, she just hadn't expected to see someone emerge so quickly.

Most Etins lingered in the tunnels for days or weeks before the cold and hunger drove them through the gateway. As the figure got closer she squinted her eyes, wondering if the fading light was playing tricks on her. He looked familiar. "Colonel O'Neill?" she called out.

He lifted his head and smiled, tiredly waving at her. "Gairwin." He picked up the pace, jogging a bit. Once he got closer she couldn't help but stare at his attire. He was dressed most oddly, even for one from Midgard. "Boy, am I glad to see you."

"I thought Thor had fixed the hammer," she said, coming to a stop at his side.

"He did," he said, looking up at her. "We had a little trouble. I don't suppose you remember where you, Carter and Daniel found Thor last time?"

"The Hall of Mjollnir? Yes, I remember where we found it."

"Sweet. Can you take me there?"

"Of course but…"

"Oh, is there any way you could have someone take something to eat up to the hammer? Carter's in there."

"Captain Carter was taken by an Etin?"

"No, no," he reassured her. "It was a Tok'ra. They're different than goa'uld…Etins. She's just stuck in there until I can get to Thor and get some help."

She looked at him, studying his face. It seemed strange that the hammer had made a mistake, although it had once before when it'd imprisoned Teal'c. And O'Neill had never lied to them, even risked their own lives to save her people. "I will do as you ask," she decided. "But first, perhaps you would wish to come with me to the village."

He shook his head. "I don't have time—"

"The night is coming. I cannot lead you to the hall in the dark. It is a long journey and you need to rest. I shall direct you in the morning, then I shall travel to the labyrinth and take Captain Carter some food and some warm clothes. Something I think you can benefit from as well," she said meaningfully.

Much to her amusement, he flushed a bit, looking down  and grimacing. Wordlessly he nodded as she pulled her boot from the stirrup. Taking the invitation, he mounted the horse behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist as she spun the horse, turning it back towards her village.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

_'You do not have to do this,' Rayna said, as Sam fed the fire another small log._

_'Do what?' Sam said, knowing what she was talking about but playing stupid._

_'I can leave you. It will not exactly be pleasant since I will not be able to heal the wound. It will no doubt be uncomfortable and painful, but should not be life threatening.'_

_'Rayna, you're not going anywhere,' Sam said. 'The Colonel will be back in a bit and Thor will get us out of here.'_

_'You sound confident.'_

_'I am.'_ Sam felt an emotion from the symbiote that she equated to a frustrated rolling of her eyes, and smiled. This blending was one hundred and eighty degrees different from the last time, something for which she was eternally grateful. For the most part, Rayna had remained submissive, not taking control and simply remaining a presence and voice in Sam's mind. She had no doubt that Rayna would leave if she asked her to…and that was exactly why Sam felt that she couldn't do it.

Of course, the simple fact that if it wasn't for the Tok'ra, Jack would still be a host also had a little something to do with it. She didn't want to keep her, she knew that. Things were already weird enough in her life thanks to Jolinar, she didn't need any more Tok'ra leftovers. Besides, if  she was blended she knew she'd be pressured to stay with the Tok'ra until they got Rayna a new host and right now that was the last thing she wanted.

The door of the chamber opened and Sam got to her feet, reaching down to pick up one of the larger branches. _'What is it?'_

_'Thor doesn't tend to use doors,' Sam said_.

"Captain Carter?"

At the sound of the voice, Sam relaxed, lowering her makeshift weapon. _'It's Gairwin,' she explained._

_'Who?'_

_'She lives here. We met her the first time we visited,' Sam explained, grateful that the Tok'ra was maintaining her distance, respecting Sam's privacy and not delving into her memories at all. "In here," Sam said as the woman walked past the threshold. 'She's a friend.'_

"Hail," Gairwin said, holding up a bundle. "I see that you fared better than Colonel O'Neill," she said, handing Sam some clothing. "You might find this more comfortable to travel in."

"Thank you," Sam said as she unfolded the garments. They were plain homespun material, long leggings and a woolen over shirt wrapped in a heavy woolen cape. It was definitely going to be an improvement over the remains of the heavy satin gown Yu had given her to wear.

Gairwin turned her back and Sam quickly shed the dress, slipping into the simple garments.

"I also brought you something to eat," Gairwin said, kneeling down and opening another satchel. She drew out simple bread and cheese and a water skin. Sam sat down, much more comfortable in her warmer clothes. "It is nothing special, however I did not have much time to prepare."

"This is great, Gairwin," Sam said, picking up part of a loaf of bread. "I can't remember the last time I ate." Sam bit into it, the simple taste of fresh baked bread like manna from heaven.

They ate in silence for a few minutes, Sam hungrily, Gairwin slower. "Colonel O'Neill said that you have an Etin inside you," she said.

Sam shook her head. "No, I mean, technically, yes. The Tok'ra are the same species as the goa'uld, but Rayna isn't evil."

"Rayna?"

"That's her name. She's not possessing me or controlling me. We're…we're sort of allies for a bit."

"If she is not evil, then what prevents you from walking through the hammer?"

"Biologically, the Tok'ra are the same as the goa'uld. I'm afraid the hammer won't be able to tell the difference and I won't risk Rayna's life."

Gairwin stared at her then nodded. "As it did not know that Teal'c fought for freedom."

"Exactly," Sam agreed.

"Will the Etins again return?" she asked.

Sam shook her head. "No. No one saw me come here, no one alive anyway. Cimmeria's safe," she promised.

_'They could come in ships,' Rayna said, content not to make her presence known to Gairwin, at least in the physical sense. _

_'Heru'ur already did. Thor's ship took out three mother ships of his. He won't be back.'_

_'That was here?'_

_'Yeah. About eight months ago or so.'_

_'He told the other system lords that a seismic event claimed his ships,' she said._

_'Heru'ur's full of it,'_ Sam said, thinking of the image of Thor's 'chariot' descending through the roiling clouds and neatly destroying the three incomplete mother ships. "Gairwin, the Etins know that Cimmeria is again protected. They won't come. Word has to have gotten around that  anyone's that not welcome on the planet just vanishes—"

A familiar beam of light engulfed them and the next thing Sam knew, she was sitting on a shiny black floor. She heard Gairwin gasp and she looked around, only relaxing when she saw the reassuring form of Jack moving towards her. "Colonel," she said, getting to her feet. "You made it."

"Barely," he said, nodding to Gairwin. "You should have warned me about the high wire act. That beam was NOT six inches wide, Carter. It was four…on a good day," he teased her.

"Daniel made it," she shot back, too glad to see him to care if she was being insubordinate.

"Daniel's a geek."

"Greetings, Captain Carter," Thor said, walking up behind Jack.

"Thor, hi."

"Thor," Gairwin acknowledged.

"Gairwin, I thank  you for aiding Captain Carter and O'Neill. I can return you to your village," he offered.

"The labyrinth will be fine," she said. "My mount is there."

"As you wish." There was a flash of light and Gairwin vanished. Thor turned to Sam. "Captain Carter, I am prepared to remove the Tok'ra from you and deliver it back to the planet of its choosing," he said.

Sam let Rayna have control. "Thank you, Thor. I would be most grateful. Captain Carter is also grateful although she has not fully accepted that fact as of yet."

"Carter?"

Sam turned to Jack as Rayna surrendered control. "It's okay, Colonel. We both agreed that this was temporary to begin with," she reassured him.

Jack turned to Thor. "Is it dangerous?"

"The separation of two blended entities is always difficult," Thor said. "However the fact that both parties are cooperating promises to make it easier. Every safeguard will be taken to insure the safety of both individuals."

"Then let's do this," Sam said, stepping forward. She paused and turned back. "Oh, Colonel?"

"Yeah?"

"The remote needs new batteries." He shook his head, frowning. "My stereo," she said.

He stared at her, frowning for a few seconds until he remembered the reference. "Then you damn well better come back," he groused. "Sticking me with shoddy merchandise."

Sam chuckled, grateful for the levity. It distracted her from the fact that she was scared spit less at the moment. Memories of Jolinar's final moments flashed through her brain, the remembered pain and terror making her heart pound and her palms sweat. _'It will not be as last time,' Rayna promised._

_'I know,' Sam said. 'I just…'_

_'I owe you my life,' she said. 'And that is a debt I can never repay.'_

Sam took one last lingering look at Jack, openly looking him from head to toe before meeting his eyes and smiling reassuringly. He was here. He was alive. He was free. That was all that mattered. _'You already have,' she said. 'You already have,'_ she repeated before turning on her heel and following Thor from the room. 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"You know, I expected this type of behavior from the Goa'uld, but not from the Asgard," Daniel said, taking a sip of his coffee.

"I agree," General Hammond said. "Walking out of a negotiation is a standard tactic, but the Asgard have nothing to gain from this."

"Considering  that this negotiation was all their idea to start with," Janet said, taking a break from her duties to join Daniel, General Hammond, and Teal'c in the briefing room as they awaited Thor's return so that the negotiations could resume.

Earlier that day, right in the middle of a session, the small alien had inexplicably interrupted Cronos, right in the middle of a sentence. He pled an important and urgent appointment and vanished in a brilliant flash of light.

"The Asgard must indeed be offering something of great value, else I believe the Goa'uld would not remain awaiting his return," Teal'c said.

"The aah, Passage of Nilor or something like that," Daniel said.

"That is a most strategic location," Teal'c said. "The Asgard control the space around it. It is a…small cut."

"Short cut," Daniel corrected. "And that explains why the Goa'uld haven't left. But it doesn't explain why Thor essentially walked out."

A familiar hum cut through the air and they all turned, staring as three figures appeared instead of the one they were expecting. "Greetings," Thor said.

"Jack. Sam. " Daniel leapt to his feet, followed quickly by the other people in the room.

"Daniel. Permission to…beam in, General?" Jack said.

"Where in the sam hill have you two been?" Hammond asked.

"It's a very long story, sir," Sam said.

"One that can surely wait until I check the two of  you out," Janet said.

"In a minute, Doc," Jack said. "General, Thor here tells me that you've got some guests."

"Yes, Colonel. We were about to come to an agreement when Thor left."

Jack looked to Sam who nodded. "We've got some information that might help things out," he said.

"Will an hour be enough time?" Thor asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Jack answered.

"We shall reconvene in an hour then," he said. "I shall communicate the fact, and my apologies for my absence to the System Lords." He disappeared in a flash of light and Jack turned to Hammond.

"Maybe we should go in your office, sir," he said.

Hammond nodded. "Doctor Jackson, why don't you join us? Teal'c, Doctor Fraiser, take Captain Carter to the infirmary."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack buttoned his BDU's, trying to ignore just how violently his hands were shaking. He'd spent the better part of the last hour briefing Daniel and General Hammond on some of what had happened in the past couple of weeks, or at least the high points. There were details that he hadn't gone into, details that he'd never go into.

There were times when he knew that Hathor had blocked him somehow, locked him away in a dark place where he hadn't been able to see anything, hear anything. There were whole chunks of the two weeks that didn't exist for him and he really didn't know if it was a good thing or a bad thing.

Part of him was grateful that he had no memories. It made it easier, in a way, to not have to remember. He knew he'd done stuff, that Hathor had made him do things. He'd wake up sometimes, with blood on his hands, or other places and a body at his feet. Some of the slaves in Nirti's palace would give him strange looks when he'd walked down the hall, scurrying out of his path, fear in their eyes.

If it wasn't for Carter…He shuddered, taking a deep breath to reassure himself. It was over. All over. He was home, she was home, everything was going to be all right.

"Jack?" Hammond's voice pulled Jack's thoughts back to the present. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Jack said shortly, quickly finishing buttoning up his buttons and turning around, schooling his face into a bland mask.

"Doctor Jackson says that everybody's up on level seventeen, well, except for Thor, but he's always the last one to arrive," he said slowly.

"Right," Jack said.

"You know, son, you don't have to do this," he said, stepping forward and lowering his voice. "Given the attitudes I've witnessed, it won't take much more than the allegation of wrongdoing to set the three of them at each others' throats."

"I know," Jack said. "But I have to do this."

Hammond stared at him for a few seconds, then nodded. "Then let's go."

The pair made their way up to the storeroom, the absence of personnel in the halls easing their way. Arriving outside the door, Jack paused for a second and took a deep breath, then pushed the door open, making as dramatic as entrance as possible. "Sorry to keep y'all waiting, folks," he said loudly, striding purposefully into the room.

Much to his enjoyment, all three Goa'uld shot to their feet. "What is the meaning of this?" Cronos demanded, his eyes flashing angrily.

"Betrayer," Nirti accused.

"Not quite," Jack said, pointing at the woman. He turned to Cronos. "You've been…Daniel, what did Frotak call Teal'c?"

"Del Mar Hokeem?" Daniel supplied.

Jack snapped his fingers. "Yeah, right, that. They're pulling the wool over your eyes. Or she is anyway." Jack pointed at Nirti. "She was planning to string you along, using my memories to allow her to invade Earth, after, of course, she uses this nifty little…" He snapped his fingers at Daniel.

"Phase shifting," he supplied.

"That, to sneak in and assassinate both of  your asses, taking your holdings and then she was going to use Hathor and some poor unsuspecting guy to breed a whole bunch of snakelets and do their best to make the universe a really nasty place to be."

"You did not share this technology with the System Lords?" Yu demanded, turning to face the woman.

"They are lying," Nirti insisted.

"You dare defile our meeting with the Asgard?" Cronos yelled.

"It is not true!"

"You are the one who opposed this treaty! You have long coveted our territories," Yu shouted.

"Gonach!" she screamed, pushing the men aside and dashing for the door. She shimmered into nothingness and Jack watched as two SF's went flying. The door flew open and Jack saw Teal'c standing there, flanked by two more SF's. He heard the familiar whine of TER's and stared as Nirti became visible, illuminated by the phase revealing properties of the alien weapon.

"Have you ever witnessed one of these devices?" Teal'c asked her. "I would be most willing to demonstrate it."

Nirti looked around, then her shoulders slumped and she surrendered. One of the SF's moved forward and restrained her hands behind her back. "She's all yours," Jack said.

Cronos and Yu stepped forward. "Why?" Yu demanded.

"We scratch your back, you scratch ours," Jack said.

"You wanted us to give up our stargate," Daniel said. "You get Nirti, we keep our gate."

Cronos and Yu looked at each other. "We will not attack your world. But, if you continue to use your Stargate be warned. Anyone who is caught by one of the System Lords will be shown no mercy. They will suffer greatly," Cronos warned.

"Well that certainly makes life more interesting," Jack said as the three of them were escorted from the meeting room and to the stargate.

"Boy, is she gonna get it," Daniel quipped.

"My heart bleeds," Jack said coldly, only relaxing when he heard the klaxons blared, announcing the departure of their guests. It was over. It was finally over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

It wasn't over.

"I'm afraid that this isn't just going to go away, Colonel," Hammond said, motioning for both Jack and Sam to have a seat in his office. In the week since their return to the SGC, both of them had taken time off, clearing extensive medical and psychological tests. Although, on Jack's behalf, 'clearing' was a misleading term he had to admit when he was being honest with himself.

Mackenzie wanted him to talk, he had more than a little experience in dealing with psychologists and knew how NOT to talk and so they'd reached a stalemate.

The good doctor wasn't ready to let Jack back into the field  yet, and Jack himself wasn't ready to go back, so he was content to have an appointment every couple of day and have some fun with the man's head.

Eventually, he knew he'd have to deal with it and jump through the man's hoops if he wanted to go back out into the field. And he would…in a few days or weeks. He just wasn't quite ready yet.

"Colonel Makepeace noted Captain Carter's flouting of orders in his report, even though nothing came of it. And, unfortunately, there were multiple witnesses to her disobeying my orders as well, including two members of your own team," he continued.

"General, sir, I'm sorry if—"

"Sir," Jack interrupted. "If you're expecting me to condemn Carter for doing what she did, it ain't gonna happen."

"I understand," Hammond said. "And, with the benefit of hindsight and considering how events played out, I can't say that I'm losing sleep over it either," he admitted. "However, the ends justifying the means isn't something a military tribunal looks too kindly on."

"Sir?" Sam asked, alarmed.

"I'm afraid they're pushing for a court-martial, Captain," Hammond said. Sam visibly paled.

"It's not just that, is it, sir?" Jack asked.

"No," Hammond admitted. "Captain, a year ago, after your experience with Jolinar, there

was…pressure to have you transferred to another facility. One with a lower classification."

"We fought it," Jack said. "The fact that your behavior gave them nothing to question helped that a lot."

"And insubordination plays right into their hands," Sam said softly.

"I'm afraid so," Hammond said.

"It's the NID isn't it?" she asked.

Jack and Hammond looked at each other before the general nodded. "Yes."

"Then I'll resign."

"They'll just recall you, Carter," Jack said.

"For insubordination?"

"Maybourne lied to the president to get Teal'c. He was willing to shoot Daniel to keep the Tollans. They won't let you just quit."

"I should have gone with Rayna," she said softly.

"Carter—"

"Colonel, I don't regret anything that I did," she said. "And I have no issue taking responsibility for my actions." She turned to look Hammond in the eyes. "I was well aware of the consequences when I made my choice, sir. I'm sorry that I disobeyed your orders but I'd do it again. I'm just not very crazy about spending the rest of my life as someone's lab rat."

"It won't come to that, Carter," Jack said.

Sam shook her head. "With all due respect sir, you can't promise that."

"Give us time, Captain," Hammond said. "We haven't exhausted all our options yet." She shot him a skeptical look, but remained silent. "If you'll excuse us, Captain, the Colonel and I have something to discuss," he said.

"Yes, sir," Sam said, getting to her feet. She left the office, closing the door behind her.

"You know, sir, if you'd have just let me shoot Maybourne…" Jack said. "I can't believe he didn't learn his lesson the last time."

"Carter's not the only one he wants, Jack," the man said seriously.

"Sir?"

"Captain Carter is their preferred subject due to the changes to her physiology wrought by Jolinar. However, they have also expressed interest in you."

"What are they going to do? Court-martial me for getting snaked?" he asked sarcastically.

Hammond sighed. "Actually, they plan to have you declared mentally incompetent and a threat to national security, at least that's my belief."

Jack sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "Carter's right. We should have stayed dead," he said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack poured a large mug of coffee and padded out onto the deck. The pre-dawn chill nipped at his bare feet and he contemplated going back in for a pair of slippers before deciding not to bother. He sat down in his deck chair and stared off at the lightening sky.

It was a sorry statement on his life when he longed for the return of the nice days of black ops and secret earth bound missions. Life was so much simpler then. You didn't get punished for surviving, and you didn't get court-martialed for saving a comrade's life.

Hammond had called him the night before, told him that they weren't going to be able to get her out of her court-martial. She was due to go before the tribunal next week. The fact that her actions had already cost her a promotion wasn't enough for them. Because it wasn't what they wanted. They wanted her…preferably in a lab and, he knew, eventually on a slab.

They weren't going to be able to stop them, Hammond had already exhausted his favors, calling everyone up to and including the President, all to no avail.

The part that really sucked, she had no defense because she'd blended willingly. That made her in control of her actions, not a 'victim' like him. If she'd have just been taken by force like the last time, then he knew they'd be having a far easier time fighting this.

She was going to lose her career, freedom and probably her life because she'd saved his life.

_"Carter's not the only one he wants, Jack."_

Yeah, he knew that. 

_"They're a valuable asset. They need to be protected."_

An asset. That's how they saw people, an asset. They didn't see them as people, just as something to be exploited, used and then discarded.

_"As a source of information, Teal'c has been invaluable to your operation. Now he may prove equally invaluable to mine. This organism could be the biological weapon..."_

Biological weapon. That's what they'd do to her. They wanted biological weapons to use against the goa'uld, and Carter was one easy source.

It wasn't right. Crap, she was just a kid, relatively speaking. Too damned young to be murdered in the name of national paranoia.

_"Carter's not the only one he wants, Jack."_

She wasn't. One ex-host had to be just as good as another.

Getting to his feet, he tossed his now cold coffee over the railing and stalked back into the house. He had a session with Mackenzie in three hours…and it was going to be a meeting the shrink wasn't going to be forgetting anytime soon.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam walked into her lab, doing her best to ignore the SF that followed her. They were a part of her life now, her own private escort service. She was monitored on the base and she was sure she also had chaperones off duty as well, she just hadn't wanted to look out the window to confirm her suspicions.

It was all part of the fun and games for the upcoming court-martial. There was no way to avoid it. She'd spent the better part of the past two weeks trying to find out what her options were…and the answers were depressingly slim.

Despite the fact that neither General Hammond or Colonel Makepeace were willing to press charges against her for insubordination, someone was. Both of their reports were being used against her, as was statements from everyone that was remotely within earshot at the time, including Daniel and Teal'c.

She was going to be court-martialed, and she knew that it was a kangaroo court. The result had already been determined. According to a few of Hammond's sources, her transfer papers to a secure facility at Area 51 had already been cut…all they were waiting for was the formality of a ruling and she'd be taken away, probably never to be seen again.

Her friends were trying to help, she knew that. Both Daniel and Teal'c had refused to testify, even to the point of perjury. In the end they'd even spent a few hours in lockup until General Hammond ordered them to tell the truth.

It wasn't going to end with her, she knew that. If they had kept lying for her, then the NID would just use that as an excuse to take Teal'c into custody and he'd end up just like her. Daniel, they weren't interested in using Daniel for research, but discrediting him would go a long way towards discrediting the SGC. And that would be playing right into Kinsey's hands. The good senator wanted nothing more than to shut them down, and Sam feared that she'd be used for that too. Any defense of her would be spun into a good reason to do a little house cleaning and remove anyone and everyone from the SGC, leaving the facility open for the NID to just move right in and take over.

That couldn't happen, she thought, as she picked up a box out of the corner of the room. The SGC and their mission here was bigger than one person, and more important than any of them. She was expendable, the program and its people weren't. She pulled open one of her drawers and started to pull out her personal stuff. Hammond had been amazingly supportive but she knew that it couldn't last. She couldn't keep letting him put his career on the line for her. And she couldn't let one person's vendetta with her take down the whole SGC either.

It didn't take her long to clean out her personal items, she really hadn't brought much into the mountain anyway other than her toiletries out of the locker room.

"Here, sergeant, make yourself useful," she said, shoving the box into his hands. The startled look on the man's face was almost enough to make her grin.

She led the way to the elevators, pulling a slightly creased envelope out of her pocket along the way. She'd typed up her letter of resignation at home, knowing that her computer access at the base was surely monitored and she hadn't wanted to give anyone the heads up on what she was planning.

Her passport and luggage was already in the car and she planned to take the honorable route…find a nice island with no extradition and try to live the rest of her life as normally as possible. Fortunately for her, she'd returned home to find some CD's and other investments of her father's at their maturity. Once she was done here, all she'd need is a quick trip to the bank then to the airport. If she was lucky, she'd be in the air and out of US jurisdiction within six hours…hopefully before the NID even got wind of her plans.

Arriving at level twenty-seven, she stepped out of the elevator and walked down the hall, making a beeline for the general's office. "You're welcome to look, but there's nothing compromising in there," she told the sergeant as she knocked on the open door, pushing her way in without waiting for an answer.

"Captain?" Hammond asked, looking up.

"My apologies, sir," she said, holding out the envelope. "For everything."

"What's this?" he asked, refusing to accept it.

"I think you know, sir."

"Captain, this isn't necessary," he said, shaking his head.

"I think it is, sir. The SGC is already under too much scrutiny and this will only make things worse. If I leave then—"

"If you leave, you leave the only protection you have," he interrupted.

"Sir, we both know—"

"And it will be an empty gesture," he interrupted again.

"Sir?"

"The charges against you have been dropped."

"General? That doesn't make any sense. Just yesterday—"

"That was yesterday. I just got off the phone with JAG. All charges against you have been dropped and your record expunged. There is still a reprimand in your file on behalf of Colonel Makepeace, however I have it on good authority that you're even on the list for the next round of promotions," he said, handing her a piece of paper that confirmed his words.

Sam stared at it, trying to make sense of it all. "General?"

He shook his head. "I honestly don't know, Captain. But thirty odd years in the military has taught me one thing, it's best not to look a gift horse in the mouth."

"Yes, sir," she said faintly.

"Dismissed," he said, indicating that their time was at an end. She got to her feet. "Captain?"

"Sir?" She turned back.

"Tell the sergeant out there to get back to work."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack sat in the common room, staring out the barred window. It was a lovely day out there, sunny and warm, if the people walking by in shirtsleeves was anything to go by.

There had to be a school nearby, every morning he could see a seemingly endless stream of youngsters walking by, then retracing their steps in the afternoon. Happened every day, but weekends of course. That's how he knew it was a weekend, there were no kids. And he imagined the same thing happened on holidays too.

It was predictable. Just like this place. It operated on a strict timetable, breakfast, meds, lunch, meds, dinner, meds. It was predictable, it was boring.

He had a funny feeling that half the other 'residents' here weren't nuts either, they'd just been bored into submission. He didn't quite have that same problem.

They weren't content to let him sit and molder. He was special. He had regular 'sessions' with Maybourne and his cronies. Sometimes they were simple question and answer meetings, reminiscent of a normal debriefing. Other times they bordered on the Spanish Inquisition, without the torture. They hadn't gotten violent, not yet anyway. For now, they chose the 'gentleman's' route…drugs and hypnosis. Anything to open his mind and loosen his lips.

It wasn't just his mind they were interested in, though, they were interested in his body as well. He'd lost count of the samples they'd taken, blood, tissue, more fluid than he even knew he'd had in him. They'd scanned him so many times that he was sure that he not only glowed in the dark but bore a passing resemblance to the magnetic north.

He was in a prison. A sterile and benign prison, but a prison nonetheless.

And it was a prison he'd volunteered for.

He'd certainly been in worse places in his life. This secure hospital was clean, well lit and not a horrible place to be. He got three squares a day, even if the quality was barely above MRE's at times, a relatively comfortable bed, and even got to keep his own clothes.

He just had no contact with anyone from his 'former life'. He didn't even know if anyone knew where he was. As far as the staff was concerned, he was Mister Jones from Cleveland. It was complete and total bullshit, but it was a lie that he had to maintain if he wanted to keep his friends safe. That was his bargain with Maybourne. His cooperation, his promise not to escape in exchange for his friends' safety. It sucked but it was a good deal. His friends were safe, and that's all that mattered.

Loud voices pulled him from his contemplation and he turned his head, idly staring down the hall. He could see the barred door at the end opening, announcing the arrival of a new patient. One that looked to be a real handful if the three burly orderlies restraining him was any indication. "They're coming. They're coming!" he yelled, struggling to free himself.

The echoing, desperate voice made Jack's stomach sink. He knew that voice.

"No one is coming, Doctor Jackson," the doctor said, his tone patronizing.

Jack forced himself to stay seated, his eyes riveted on the drama before him. What the hell was he doing here? Goddamnit! Maybourne promised he'd keep his hands off his friends.

"They're coming. I hear footsteps. Footsteps!" Daniel continued to yell. As he got closer Jack could see his face, the wide, wild look in his eyes. That wasn't an act. Daniel couldn't act that good. Something was wrong with him, seriously wrong.

He watched as the dragged Daniel into the padded room, the doctor following the orderlies with a syringe in his hand. Yeah, right, that was the answer to everything, drug him, Jack thought bitterly.

He glanced at the clock on the wall. 2000. That'd be just about right. The nurses here got extremely lax about 0300. If they gave him the usual dose, he'd be lucid right about then. It would be no problem for him to get out of his room and into Daniel's. Then he could find out what the hell was going on.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel curled up on the floor, rocking gently as he put his hands over his ears. Talking. Why wouldn't they stop talking? Quiet. He wanted it quiet. He couldn't sleep unless it was quiet.

Where was he? It was so bright, so horribly bright. He couldn't hide in this brightness. He needed it dark, wanted it dark. Maybe then the voices wouldn't find him.

They were everywhere. The voices were everywhere. At home, at the SGC, here. Where was here? How did he get here? He didn't want to be here.

The voices. The voices brought him here. The voices were going to get him. He couldn't let them get him. Hide. He had to hide. But where? There was nowhere to hide here, nothing but brightness and emptiness. It was so empty. He felt empty. His stomach was empty, his head was empty. He felt like he could just float away.

He heard the door open and he whimpered, crawling towards the corner. They were here. They'd come for him. They were going to get him and take him away. He didn't want to go.

"Daniel?"

No. They knew his name. He didn't want them to know his name. It was bad if they knew who he was, he wouldn't be able to hide then.

"Daniel!" Firm hands grabbed his wrists and pulled his hands away from his head. The voices came back and he cringed, squeezing his eyes shut. "Daniel, damnit, focus!" The voice was harsh but kind. He knew it. Knew this voice. It was different from the others, familiar. "Daniel. What the hell is wrong with you?"

Wrong? What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he think? Why couldn't he…

"Daniel, look at me. Open your eyes and look at me."

The voice was commanding. He was supposed to obey that voice. He trusted that voice.

One hand let go of his wrist and grabbed his chin. "Open. Your. Eyes."

Instinctively obeying, Daniel opened his eyes, blinking to clear his blurry vision. A face swam before him. A familiar and blurry face. No. This wasn't right. He was gone. He couldn't be here because he…he was gone.

"Daniel, it's me, Jack." Jack…He knew a Jack. He had a friend called Jack. "Daniel?"

"Jack?" he asked, frowning.

"Damnit, Daniel, what happened?" he requested.

What had happened? He didn't…yes he did. They were coming. They were going to come get him and kill him. "They're coming," he whispered, trying to warn his friend. Jack had to get away. Had to escape before they came.

Jack looked over his shoulder. "They're not coming. The next bed check isn't for another hour."

"Footsteps. I hear footsteps." 

"There aren't any….what the?" Jack pulled away from him, falling back to land awkwardly on his butt. He batted at his left hand, slapping it with his right. "Daniel, what the hell is going on?" he demanded, his eyes wide with fear.

Daniel stared at him, breathing heavily as the mists faded. What the hell was Jack doing here? "Jack? I thought you…where are we?" he asked, feeling like he'd walked into the middle of a movie.

"Daniel, what was that?"

"What was what?"

"What just crawled into me?" he demanded, holding up his hand.

"I don't see anything."

"That's not what you were saying five minutes ago," Jack accused, scooting away.

"Jack, I don't…" Daniel broke off as a voice filtered into his mind. 'You have delivered me to the vile Goa'uld so that I may destroy him.' Daniel frowned. "Machello," he muttered.

"What?"

"I heard Machello."

"Daniel, what--aah," Jack cried out, hunching over as he closed his eyes and grabbed for his head. Daniel stared in horror as something squeezed its way out of his ear and plopped onto the padded floor. "God," Jack moaned, looking at the creature, then scooting away.

Daniel crawled forward, tentatively poking the small mass with his finger. "It's dead," he said unnecessarily.

"Machello," Jack muttered.

"Jack?"

"It said that it'd freed me from my goa'uld captor. I don't have a goa'uld captor."

"You did," Daniel said.

Jack shrugged and scrubbed his hand over his face. "Day late and a dollar short," he muttered.

"Jack, what the hell are you doing here?" Daniel demanded.

"It's a long story, Daniel," he said.

"I think we have time," Daniel insisted.

Jack shook his head. "We gotta get you out of here. I should be able to get to the phone. We can call Hammond and Carter and have them—"

"What do you mean call Sam?" Daniel asked, getting wobbly to his feet.

"Hammond can clear this mess up and Carter can come and get you, unless they've finally given Teal'c a license," Jack said.

"Jack, Sam's gone," Daniel said.

"What do you mean?"

"She disappeared the same day that you did. In fact, the grapevine had you two running off to Vegas together, or her heading to Canada to avoid the court-martial."

"Daniel, what the hell are you talking about? There is no court-martial. Carter was cleared of all charges."

"How do you know that?" Daniel asked.

"What?"

"How do you know that the charges were dropped? You never came into the base that day," he said, remembering the last conversation he'd had with Sam before she'd vanished. How relieved she'd been to have the charges cleared, but also how upset she was that Jack hadn't been there to share in the good news.

She'd been going home early that day, the general had given all of them time off. They were going to meet for dinner that night…but she'd never showed.

They'd found her car at her house, no signs of a struggle or forced entry. Nothing was missing beyond her purse and passport, thus leading to the theory that she'd run. Which hadn't made any sense considering that she'd been cleared, but no one wanted to listen to sense, they liked the sensational story.

"It doesn't matter," Jack dismissed, turning away.

"I think it does," Daniel insisted. He looked around him, his eyes catching the plastic bracelet peeking out from his shirtsleeve. The same kind of bracelet that was on his own wrist. "You made a bargain," he said slowly, the pieces falling into place.

"Daniel—"

"They wanted Sam so they could run tests on her, so you offered yourself instead. That's why the charges were dropped, weren't they? That was part of the deal." The look on his friend's face told Daniel all he needed to know. "Jack…"

"It doesn't matter, Daniel," Jack interrupted.

"She didn't run, Jack. Don't ask me how I know, but I know. Sam vanishing wasn't her idea."

"We'll deal with that later. First, we're getting out of here," Jack said.

"We?"

"We," Jack confirmed.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 "Who are we waiting for?" Daniel asked, deliberately keeping his voice low even though they were two of only five people in the small diner. He took another deep drink of his coffee, cherishing how the caffeine helped to clear his head. He knew that he still had some drugs in his system and probably would for a few more days.

"An old friend," Jack said, digging into his scrambled eggs.

"An old friend we can trust?" Daniel asked, trying to ignore the nausea roiling in his belly as he reached for the toast he'd ordered. He needed to eat, getting food in his system was the fastest way to help clear out the drugs, but he also didn't feel like he could stomach too much right now. Which was probably why he'd slept most of their way here.

It'd been astonishingly easy to get out of the secure hospital. Jack had had a couple of weeks to study the place, noting its weaknesses and vulnerabilities. Or more accurately, the weaknesses in the staff. The orderly they'd knocked out would no doubt not be too happy with them, but Daniel also wondered how he was going to explain being attacked by two patients while he slept in the common room instead of doing his job.

In the end, they'd relieved him of his keys to the facility, getting his car keys as a bonus. They'd found their belongings and then driven south, taking the risk of using Daniel's ATM card to get some money and hitting a local thrift store for new clothes before dumping the car in Canon City. They stole another one and turned a one-eighty, taking side roads to make their way towards their true destination, north.

Along the way, Jack had purchased a disposable cell phone from a convenience store and made a call. Daniel still wasn't certain who he'd called, but knew that they'd arranged to meet the man here.

"Yeah, Daniel, we can trust him," Jack said, his eyes cold and hard. They hadn't talked about it, hadn't talked much at all during their flight, but Daniel knew what was bothering his friend, or at least felt that he had a damned good idea.

"Jack, you had no way of knowing—"

"I trusted him, Daniel," he interrupted. "It was a damn stupid thing to do."

"You're presuming that Maybourne is involved," Daniel said.

"Who the hell else could it be?"

"If Sam was taken because of…who she is, then, yeah, it is probably him. But what if it's something else? What if it's just a coincidence?"

"What? Some random act of violence?"

"Why not? Not everything in this world is a conspiracy."

"Oh, I don't know about that," a voice said from over his shoulder. Daniel turned, tensing until he realized that Jack wasn't concerned but rather was getting to his feet and shaking the man's hand.

"Harley, man. Thanks for coming."

"Jack," he acknowledged. "Who's your friend?"

"Lieutenant Colonel Harley Beck, Doctor Daniel Jackson," Jack introduced. "Harley and I go back, way back."

"Another time, another war," Harley said as Daniel scooted over so he could sit. He took a seat, accepting the coffee that the waitress offered. "What's up, Jack?" he asked as Jack pushed his partially eaten breakfast away.

"I'm looking for a little info."

"You're higher up the food chain than I am," Harley said. "What makes you think that I know anything that you don't already know?"

"Because I know where you used to moonlight," he said meaningfully. "And you don't just stop working for the CIA."

Harley looked over his shoulder then back at Jack, totally ignoring Daniel. "You're all wrong. I was never a spook."

"I don't have time to play games, Harley. And I'm not here to out you," Jack said. "All I want is some information. A friend of ours is missing."

"So call the cops."

"This friend is…special. And very popular among members of a certain organization."

"Which describes a few thousand people," Harley said.

"It's the NID," Daniel said, losing his patience for all the cloak and dagger stuff. "And the person that's missing works with us…at a base in Colorado Springs."

Harley shot him as appraising look. "You're not stationed at Peterson."

"The other base," Jack said.

"Jesus Christ, Jack. You're involved in that mess under NORAD?"

"So's Sam," Daniel said.

"And we think the NID has her," Jack said. "All we need is a location. Where would they hide someone?"

"Anywhere they want," Harley said.

"Harley…"

He sighed. "A couple weeks ago, I was taking off from the Springs airport…I heard some radio chatter. A guy that I know works for them filing a flight plan to Minot, North Dakota. It could just be a coincidence. They have a couple dozen safe houses that I know of."

"It's a place to start," Jack said. "Thanks."

Harley shook his head. "Don't thank me yet. A lot can happen in two weeks."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack drove north, staring at the road as the white lines blinked on and off. He could hear Daniel snoring softly beside him, slumped down in the car seat. He'd nodded off about an hour after they'd left Denver, and Harley, behind.

Jack was glad because he knew his friend. If he wasn't sleeping, he'd want to talk. And Jack wasn't in the mood for talking right now.

The bastard. Dirty, rotten, lying sack of shit. They had a deal, a gentleman's agreement…except Jack should have known better. Harry was no gentleman.

"Where are we?"  Daniel woke up, stretching as much as he could, constrained by the seat belt.

"Wyoming," Jack answered tersely.

"How far away is Minot?"

"Bout another seven to eight hours."

"You can't drive that far."

"I'm fine, Daniel."

"You're half asleep," he answered.

"I said I'm fine," Jack insisted, gritting his teeth to temper his anger.

Daniel leaned over so he could see the instrument panel. "We're at a quarter tank. You're gonna have to pull over and get gas pretty soon anyway. We can switch then." Jack shot him a cold look. "You're not going to be any good to Sam if we kill ourselves getting there." Jack nodded after a second, then turned his attention back to the road.

Daniel fell silent for a few minutes, staring out at the sparse scenery. The land they were driving through was flat and traffic was light. It was early evening and Daniel knew that the road would just get more and more deserted as the hours wore on. "When will we get there?" he asked, his voice sounding horribly loud in the oppressive silence of the car.

"Mid-morning, give or take. Finding Minot's one thing, then we have to find the safe house."

"Yeah, they probably won't have a sign out front or anything…" he trailed off, staring out the window as he caught sight of some antelope standing by the side of the road. "What was your bargain?" he asked.

Jack tensed. He'd known that the question was inevitable…but he'd just hoped that Daniel would hold off for a while…like a few weeks. "I go with Maybourne, the court-martial gets dropped and Carter's record gets fixed," he said after a few seconds, acknowledging that if he didn't say anything, Daniel would just keep asking.

"And you spend the rest of your life locked in a cage."

Jack shrugged. "There are worse ways to go."

"Jack—"

"Daniel, there was a very good chance that I was never going to get cleared for off-world travel again anyway. I've been compromised. Once you lose the Air Force's trust, you don't tend to get it back."

"General Hammond never stopped trusting you."

"Hammond doesn't run the Air Force," Jack shot back.

"So, that's it. You were just going to trot off, leave us all behind thinking that you're dead and nobody'd care?"

"It was for the best, Daniel."

"Says who?"

"Says me!"

Daniel stared at him for a few seconds until a green road sign caught his eyes. "Fifteen miles to the next town," he said, silently signaling a truce.

"You good to drive?"

Jack nodded. "We'll tank up, grab a burger and get back on the road," he said, knowing that the topic was far from over.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Ron sat back, yawning as he watched the monitor screens, wishing that something was actually going on. The door behind him opened and he straightened, knowing whom it was. "The perimeter's secure, sir," he said.

"Of course it is," the colonel replied. "How's our subject?"

Ron punched up the right camera. "She hasn't moved, sir," he said, looking at the figure curled up on a bunk in a large, open air cell set in the middle of the room.

"She's probably faking it," Maybourne said, checking his watch. "The injection from the last session should have worn off three hours ago."

Ron remained silent, knowing that the man didn't want to hear anything he had to say. One of the screens started to flash. "We have a breach in the perimeter, section R9," he reported, reaching for his radio.

"What's going on?" Maybourne demanded.

"It's probably that damn squirrel again, sir," he said, calling to his men who were on patrol outside. "Joe, report," he requested, glancing up at the Colonel when he got no response.

"Lock it down," Maybourne ordered.

"My men are out there," Ron protested.

"And there's something far more valuable in here. Lock it down!"

Ron reached for the button, only to stop as the lights went out, plunging the facility into darkness. "Switching to backup generator," Ron said, pushing the button. "We have a red alert. Backup generator is down. System is unoperational, repeat, system is down."

"Do I have to do everything myself!" Maybourne ranted, bending over to pull open the weapons drawer. He grabbed a nine-millimeter pistol and hurried from the room.

Ron stood up, reaching to the small of his back to draw his own weapon. "Aah," he heard. He slowly turned, instead raising his hands when he came eye to eye with a gun. "Don't," the man ordered. The man nodded and a second man melted out from behind him, hurrying forward. He relieved Ron of his weapon and stood back. "Where is she?"

"You're making a big mistake here," Ron said. "You have no idea who you're messing with.

"And I don't much care," the man said, squinting a bit as the power came back on and the monitors flickered to life.

"Jack?" the second man said, nodding towards the large display.

The man looked, his eyes narrowing as he caught sight of the cage and its occupant. "On your knees, now," he ordered, cocking his pistol when Ron refused to obey. "Unless you only want one to worry about," he threatened, altering his aim so that the gun was pointed unerringly at Ron's knee.

He slowly knelt down, tensing as the man walked over to him. Half expecting the loud report of a gun, Ron was mildly surprised when his last sensation was the dull thud of a gun butt coming into contact with his skull.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Daniel watched as Jack knocked the man out, more relieved than he would admit that he hadn't killed him. "This way," Jack said, moving towards the door. The pair of them silently made their way down the hall, falling into the well-known pattern they'd used countless times off world.

At the end of the corridor, Jack motioned for him to hang back as he entered the room. Daniel peeked around the corner and could see Sam on a bunk inside a large barred cell. Maybourne was nowhere in sight, and Jack moved forward, only to freeze as the small snick-click of a gun being cocked cut though the air.

Jack spun, bringing up his pistol in one smooth movement. "Drop it," Maybourne threatened.

"You think I won't shoot you?" Jack said.

Maybourne shifted his aim, the pistol now pointing at the unconscious woman in the cage. "I only need one of you," he said. "Having both was an unexpected bonus. Drop your weapon, or she dies."

Daniel stepped forward, unable to suppress a smile as he cocked his pistol. Maybourne stiffened but didn't look around. "Why don't you drop it," Daniel said.

"You're bluffing, Jackson," Maybourne said.

"No, haven't you heard, I'm nuts," Daniel said, shifting his aim and pulling the trigger.

Maybourne physically jumped at the report and spun to face him. In an instant, Jack was behind him, grabbing the man's right hand and pulling it down until his weapon was pointed harmlessly at the floor.

Maybourne was quickly disarmed and restrained, the colonel's uniform necktie being used to tie his hands behind his back. Jack dug in the man's pocket, handing him off to  Daniel as he pulled out a small ring of keys and made his way to the cage.

Once there, he fumbled a bit, finally finding the right key to unlock the door. He hurried in, kneeling down at Sam's side. "Carter?" He shook her slightly. Getting no response, he felt for her pulse. "What the hell have you done to her?" he demanded, looking up at Maybourne.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Spying a table, Daniel pushed Maybourne towards it, keeping his pistol trained on the back of his head. There was a stainless steel tray on the table, dotted with medical instruments. Some of them he recognized, others he didn't. "Jack," he said, picking up a bottle. "Thiopental sodium?" he said, reading the label.

"Sodium pentothal," Jack translated. "Truth serum." He left Sam, stalking towards Maybourne. "How much?" he demanded wrapping one hand around the man's throat. "HOW MUCH!"

Maybourne just shook his head. "It's perfectly safe," he croaked out. "Just a mild sedative to help her relax."

Jack's eyes narrowed and he drew back his arm, punching the man in the stomach. Maybourne groaned, his legs collapsing. Unable to support his suddenly dead weight, Daniel let go of his arms and the man fell to the floor, hunching into a fetal position. "How much did you give her!" Jack yelled, digging his hands into the man's hair to make him look up.

Daniel turned his attention to the table and the small trashcan beside it. He dumped the trash out, picking empty ampoules up from the floor. "I've got three empties," he reported. "Jack?" he said when his friend didn't move. "Jack?"

Jack shook his head and got up, bending over to grab Maybourne by his collar. He dragged the man over to the cell and dumped him in the corner, before reaching down to pick up Sam. "I think he overdosed her. We got to get her to some help," he said, walking out of the cell.

Daniel snagged the rough blankets off the cot and followed Jack, pausing to slam the cell door shut. Jack strode outside, confident that the guards they'd neutralized were still unconscious.

He paused by the car, shifting Sam in his grip so he could dig out the keys. He unlocked the doors, then tossed them to Daniel, signaling that he wanted the man to drive. Daniel got in as Jack crawled in back, pulling Sam onto his lap. "She doesn't look too good," he said as he put the key in the ignition and turned it.

"I know," Jack said, pulling the blanket over them.

"I thought sodium pentothal was relatively safe?" Daniel said.

"Not if you have naquadah in your system," Jack said as Daniel put the car in gear and drove off. "There's a whole list of stuff she can't take because it has an adverse effect on her."

"And you too?" Daniel asked, pulling out from the driveway and onto the main road.

Jack shrugged. "Doc and I never got that far. Turn left up here."

"That's not the way home."

"We don't have time to drive. Turn left," Jack said, digging into his pocket. Daniel glanced in the rear view mirror to see him punching numbers on the phone.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling the cavalry…I hope."

Daniel made the turn, dividing his attention between Jack and the midmorning traffic. "Put me through to General Hammond," he requested. "No, it's an emergency. I need to talk to him now. It doesn't matter who I am…Sergeant Matthews, unless you want to be scrubbing the heads with a toothbrush, put me through!" Daniel glanced in the mirror and noted the frustrated look on his friend's face. "Minot Air Base should be up ahead somewhere. Get close but don't pull in yet," Jack instructed.

"Jack?"

"If Hammond can swing it, we can be on a jet and home in a couple of hours. If not, Fraiser can talk to the docs there and tell them how to treat Carter." Daniel spied the air base ahead, and found a side street. He pulled over, turning around in the seat so that he could see Jack. "General Hammond, sir," he said, unconsciously sitting up straighter as he spoke to the man. "Yes, sir, it's good to hear your voice too. General, this isn't a secure line but I need a favor. Yes, sir. Daniel and I are sitting outside Minot and we need a lift back to Colorado. Yeah, sir, it's a long story. We've also got a certain AWOL officer with us that's in need of medical attention. Yes, sir, actually, I think she would benefit from Fraiser's assistance. Yes, sir, I'll fill you in on everything as soon as we get back into friendly territory. Yes, sir, thank you, sir." Jack ended the call and met Daniel's gaze. "Go on to the base. Hammond's gonna call right now."

Daniel nodded and put the car into reverse, easing his way back out onto the street. He made his way to the entrance of the base and pulled in, not relaxing until they were past the guard post and behind the relative safety of razor wire and friendly faces.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

George walked into the infirmary, not surprised to find the object of his search there. "General," he said, glancing over his shoulder. He moved to stand up and George waved him to remain seated.

"Doctor Fraiser is optimistic," George said.

"Yeah," Jack nodded. "She just needs to sleep it off."

George pulled another chair over and sat down, looking at his unconscious officer. The colonel's amateur diagnosis had been correct, the captain was suffering from an overdose. However, since the drugs had been administered intravenously, there was nothing the doctor could do but monitor her condition until her body rid itself of the drug. She did look like she was just sleeping, if it wasn't for the IV and the various monitors snaking in and out from under the covers. Oddly enough, that didn't reassure George.

"Maybourne?" Jack asked, not taking his eyes off his friend.

George shook his head. "He was gone by the time the forces from Minot got there. So were the rest of his men."

Jack's mouth twisted. "Figures."

"They didn't have time to sanitize the place though," George said. "There was more than enough evidence to support your story, including video tapes and notes that testify to Carter's treatment. Plus at least one flight a day between Colorado Springs and Minot, enough evidence to prove that even if it wasn't his idea, he took an active role in it. Carter has been cleared of all charges, so have you," he reported.

"Daniel?"

"Doctor Mackenzie has declared him perfectly sane and free from all alien influence. The tests he ran on that…thing, revealed that it altered his brain chemistry. That was the cause of his dementia."

"That's good," Jack said, his face still serious.

"Jack?" Hammond asked after a few seconds of silence.

"What's to stop them from doing it again?" he asked looking George in the eyes. "The next time they decide they need another test subject, or the next time we piss them off."

"The President's given his word—" Jack snorted disbelievingly. "And so's Thor," George continued.

"Sir?"

"Soon after the two of you disappeared, we attempted to make contact with the Asgard, to see if they would be able to help. They didn't respond soon enough to help, but he did pay a little visit to the President, and made it very clear that the Asgard would not continue to protect a planet that used its own people for test subjects."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that if Earth wants to keep the Asgard's protection, they have to leave you and the rest of your team alone."

Jack sighed. "Well, that's something."

Hammond got up, laying a reassuring hand on Jack's shoulder. "Take it easy on the nurses," he said, then turned to leave.

"I see him again, I am gonna shoot him," Jack said, not turning around.

"You can use my gun," Hammond said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam fiddled with her laptop wishing that she dared trying to run a LAN connection so she could at least surf the web to help alleviate her boredom, although she knew that her boredom had a lot to do with her actually feeling human again. She still had a bit of a headache and certainly could sleep some more, but all in all, she was feeling pretty good.

Daniel had been in a couple of times, and Teal'c too, both of them bearing food and gossip, catching her up on things she'd missed during the past couple of weeks. General Hammond had even visited, getting some of her side of the story although he said that a complete report could wait until she felt better.

It was late, past 2000, but still she couldn't sleep. Part of it she knew was that she'd been sleeping on and off for the past couple of days as the drugs worked their way out of her system, but there was another reason, one she didn't want to admit to, the fact that her sleep was slowly changing from deep and dreamless to the kind where she floated between waking and sleep and her memories had full reign over her mind. And they were memories she really wasn't in the mood to revisit just yet.

"I see Fraiser's still going with the white PJ's."

Sam looked up, grinning as Jack peeked around the curtain. "Hey. You're here late."

"Ssh." He held his finger up in front of his lips. "Hammond thinks I'm doing paperwork," he said, stepping closer. She scooted over a bit, making room for him  to perch on the edge of the bed. "You look like you feel better."

"Yeah. Janet's gonna let me go in the morning."

"That's good," Jack said cocking his head to look at the screen of her laptop. "You're writing your report?" he asked, cocking his eyebrows in disbelief.

Sam shook her head. "Not really. Just…trying to see what I remembered," she said, fighting a shudder. Most of the past two weeks were a blur, periods of lucidity and boredom, then sessions with Maybourne when he'd use the drugs to try and get her to remember more things about the Tok'ra.

She knew that he'd been disappointed, she hadn't really remembered anything important or of strategic value. Rayna never shared that part of her memories with her and Jolinar…Jolinar hadn't had enough time to really share much.

"Don't stress over it," he said. "I doubt anyone will ever really read it."

"What do you mean?"

"Right after Hammond got us on the base, he had a group of SF's raid the safe house. The people were gone, but they left their stuff behind…including video tapes of Maybourne and you …anyway there's more than enough proof of what happened." She sighed, not sure if it made her feel any better or not to know that there were videos of her out there somewhere. "Hey," he said, resting his hand on her leg. "You okay?"

"Yeah," she said forcing a note of confidence into her voice.

He shot her a skeptical look, then mercifully dropped the subject. "You think Doc would throw a hissy fit if you took a little walk?"

"What do you mean?"

"Do you know what they do during the nightshift in the cafeteria?" he asked.

"I'm not sure if I want to know."

"Pie, Carter…fresh from the oven pie. We can scare you up a robe and a pair of slippers and go have a little midnight snack," he suggested.

"I have a funny feeling that Sergeant Miller won't be too fond of us raiding the kitchen at this hour," she said.

Jack waved dismissively. "He's a pussy cat. To tell you the truth, he's flattered that folks like his cooking." He got up and crossed to the closet, reaching in to pull out a robe. "Come on, Fraiser'll never know. I passed her leaving as I came back."

Sam stared at him, torn between getting out of the infirmary, even for a little bit and the lure of staying in her nice safe nest for a little while longer. "What kind does he make?" she asked, stalling for time.

Jack shrugged. "Pumpkin, apple, cherry," he said, stepping forward and handing her the robe.

"Cherry?" she asked, her stomach suddenly growling at the mention of her favorite flavor.

He nodded. "Got ice cream too. Big serving of vanilla ice cream melting on top of a thick slice of steaming pie…"

"Okay," she agreed, pushing back the covers and sliding the robe on. He handed her a pair of slippers and she slid her feet into them. "I suppose a cup of coffee would be too much to ask."

"Probably," he said.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Jack pulled his truck to the curb and turned off the ignition. They both sat there for a few seconds, staring out the window. "This is the right place?" he asked, pulling Sam from her reverie. She'd grown more and more withdrawn during the short drive from the mountain to her house, her infrequent small talk quickly descending into total silence.

"Yeah, sorry," she said, automatically reaching for her seatbelt, undoing it and climbing out of the vehicle. He'd volunteered to drive her home once Fraiser had released her. The doctor wasn't too crazy about her driving, and Jack had to admit that he wasn't too fond of the idea either. There was a part of him that still felt uneasy, not quite ready to trust the President's word that the NID would leave them alone.

Inexplicably, Sam hadn't protested, and that fact alone was enough to convince him that he was right.

He followed her, jogging a bit to catch up as she crossed the street and started up the short walk to her house. She dug her keys out of her pocket and walked in, leaving the door open so that he could follow.

He watched her pick her mail up from off the floor and slowly walk into the living room, still not saying a word. "Sam?" Ignoring him, she set the mail down on the coffee table and walked into the kitchen. She stood there for a second then started to pull open cabinet doors, her movements getting more and more frantic. "Sam?" He walked into the kitchen and grabbed her arm, making her look up at him as she pulled open the refrigerator door. "Sam? What's wrong?"

"They put them away," she said slowly.

"What?"

"That day. I'd hit the grocery store and got a few things. They were…they were waiting for me, right there," she said, looking towards her living room. "They grabbed me and I remember the bag falling but…I thought surely someone would know something was wrong when they found food scattered all over the place, but it wasn't. They put them away. Those sons of bitches put away my groceries," she said, her voice cracking a bit.

"Sam, it's okay," he said, closing the refrigerator door and pulling her close. He fought the surge of anger that shot through him. He hadn't heard about this, he knew that they'd grabbed her somehow, but hadn't realized that they'd broken into her home. At this exact moment in time, he sincerely regretted not killing Maybourne when he'd had the chance. "They can't touch you any more, can't touch either of us. The President has made sure of that."

"I never should have listened to him," she said, apparently lost in her own thoughts.

"Listened to who?" he asked, gently wrapping his arms around her.

"General Hammond said that everything would be fine. I should have known better, I should have just kept going," she muttered.

"Going where?" he asked, wondering what she was talking about.

"I was going to resign and leave the country, but I changed my mind once the general told me that the charges had been dropped. I shouldn't have, I should have just kept going," she repeated.

"I don't think that would have made a difference," he whispered. "Come on," he said louder, lowering his arms.

"What?"

"You can't stay here. There's plenty of room at my place. I'll call a friend of mine, get the locks changed."

She shook her head. "I couldn't do that—"

"Yes, you can," he interrupted. He gently pushed her towards the hall. "Go grab what you'll need for a few days. I'll call Hammond and let him know. It's not safe for you to stay here until we get this place checked out anyway," he said, grasping onto a logical reason for his decision.

She hesitated for a second, then nodded, leaving him and heading towards her bedroom.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Sam sat up, her eyes frantically darting around the darkened room until she remembered where she was, the Colonel's guest room.

They'd had a nice afternoon the day before after they'd left her house. They really hadn't done anything extraordinary, simply puttered around, doing some light house work and yard work during the warm afternoon, then went out to dinner in a local restaurant before coming back to his place and spending a relaxing evening in front of the television.

For the first time in a very long time, she felt herself unwind, her anxieties fading away in his steady presence. They hadn't talked about work or what had happened and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

Flopping back down onto the pillows, she closed her eyes, trying to slow her pounding heart. It was a dream. It was just a dream. The dreams would fade, eventually. Rationally, she knew that. Rationality just didn't help much at 0300.

A sound filtered through the quiet house and she recognized it. Sounded like she wasn't the only one with a lack of rationality. This wasn't the first time she'd ever heard the Colonel have a nightmare, all of them had bad dreams from time to time, and living in tents half the time usually meant if one of them woke up yelling, all of them woke up.

She knew that when his dreams woke him, he preferred to be left alone, to think and forget without an audience. And normally she did that, simply turning over in her sleeping bag and at least pretending to sleep. She heard him again and sat up, tossing back the covers and padding from the room.

She made her way down the hall to the master bedroom, using the faint light spilling from outside to guide her way. She slowly pushed open the door, ready to turn back if he was already awake…or threw something at her.

She could see him lying in the bed, the covers knotted and twisted around him. He was still asleep but she could see that it was far from a restful sleep. She made her way over to the bed and sat on the edge reaching out to shake his arm. "Colonel? Colonel? Jack," she finally said when he didn't respond. She shook him harder, immediately rearing back and falling to the floor as he woke up with a cry, his arms swinging wildly.

He looked around, his chest heaving and his eyes finally settled on her. "Sam? What the hell?"

"You were dreaming," she said, pushing herself up.

"Crap, I'm…are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said as she got to her feet. She stood there for a few seconds, watching as he sighed, his hand going to the back of his neck where it massaged his muscles. It was a gesture she recognized, a gesture she'd done herself a time or two. "She's gone," she said softly. His head jerked up, his eyes meeting hers as his hand stilled. "Hathor's gone," she said, knowing that she was treading  on dangerous ground. "You keep wanting to feel back there, to see if you can feel it, because even if it's dead, you still know it's there and…but she's gone. She left you in the hammer so there's nothing there," she rambled.

His face hardened and he glared at her. "Carter…"

"It takes longer for the voices to go away though," she continued, ignoring his warning. "You can still hear her talking, even though she's gone. I don't know if that'll be different with Hathor than it was with Jolinar, because she stayed inside me, but I don't really have many of Rayna's memories, so maybe it is different and…"

"Shut! Up!" he ordered, throwing back the covers, kicking his legs to untangle them and bolting off the bed. He stalked by, brushing past her as he stormed into the hall. She watched him go, running her fingers through her hair. She walked out into the hall, pausing as she passed her room. She could go back in there, crawl back into bed and pretend that the last few minutes never happened. She could…but she wasn't going to.

Taking a deep breath, she headed towards the living room, not surprised to find the room empty and dark. Spying the door to the deck open, she went that way, pausing to snag a bottle from his kitchen cabinet along the way. She moved to stand beside him, unscrewing the top from the bottle and taking a small drink. She held it out, wondering if he'd accept or rebuff her gesture.

After a long few seconds, he sighed, taking the bottle from her. "Fraiser'd have my head if she knew," he muttered, taking a swig from the bottle.

"I won't tell her if you won't," she said. They stood side by side for a few more minutes, both staring off into the darkness of his back yard.

"She liked mind games," he finally said, almost whispering the words. "She'd, aah, she'd block me from everything, no sight, no sound, nothing. I never knew how long she'd do that, days, hours…I couldn't ever really tell. But, then she'd get bored and she'd…I guess she made me see things. I…I killed you, all of you, a dozen times over. And every time I never knew if it was for real or not." His voice shook slightly and he took a deep drink of the liquor. "Once we aah, it was worse with Nirti. She had a whole village of slaves and…I'd wake up and there'd be a body and I'd have blood on my hands and…"

"You couldn't have stopped her," Sam said, reaching out to lay her hand on his arm. "You can't fight them, trust me, I know. Nothing you did, or might have done, is your fault."

He shook his head. "I killed people. I know that I…"

"She," Sam corrected. "SHE killed people. She did it. You just happened to be along for the ride." He shook his head again, clearly not believing her words. "Do you remember what you said about a year ago, to a certain captain who was freaking out because she remembered tossing her CO halfway across the gate room?" He remained stubbornly silent. "'It's not your fault', you said, if I'm remembering correctly. It's not your fault," she repeated. "You couldn't stop Hathor any more than I could stop Jolinar." He grunted and Sam smiled, knowing that it was all the agreement she'd be likely to ever get. She knew that nothing she'd say would ever really help him, that he had to come to terms with it in his own way, just like she had.

"It's late," he said after a few minutes. He turned to walk back inside. "We should try and get some sleep."

"Daniel told me what you did," she said, her words making him stop in his tracks. "The bargain you made."

"Daniel needs to learn to keep his mouth shut."

"Why?" she asked, moving closer to him so that she could see his face. "They weren't going to touch you, why did you—"

"It doesn't matter why," he interrupted.

"I think it does," she shot back.

"Why'd you come after me?" he countered, his words catching her off guard.

"We're not talking about me."

"We are now."

She sighed. "I came because I knew you'd rather be dead than spend eternity with Hathor," she said softly.

"And Rayna?"

"She was dying."

"And," he prodded.

"She knew where the field generator was so the reinforcements could get through."

"And," he pushed again.

"She knew where Hathor would take you," she admitted.

"So you went off, larking across the universe, by yourself, to keep me from spending the next few centuries as Hathor's newest toy?"

"Yeah."

"That's why," he said, looking her in the eyes. She nodded, accepting his words. "Come on," he said, taking her hand.

"What?"

"If we're gonna be awake, we might as well be comfortable," he said, leading her inside. They made their way to the living room and sat on the couch, Jack reaching for the remote while Sam pulled the afghan off the back of the couch.

They relaxed and eventually slept, comforted by the familiar noise of an old movie and the steady warmth of each other's presence.

Fin


End file.
